Welcome
What’s new
- What is Pixelmator Pro?
- Pixelmator Pro interface
- - What is Apple Creator Studio?
  - Subscribe to Apple Creator Studio
- Create a new document
- Open a document
- Replace an image
- Create from templates and mockups
- Save, name, and close documents
- Edit from the Photos app
- Intro to layers
- Create layers
- Select layers
- Organize and manage layers
- Navigate the canvas
- Use rulers, guides, and other canvas overlays
- Rasterize vector layers
- Work with video layers
- Intro to selection tools
- Make intelligent selections
- Make geometric selections
- Select areas by drawing in the canvas
- Modify selections
- Intro to color adjustments
- Apply color adjustments in Pixelmator Pro
- Selectively adjust clarity and texture
- Color grade an image
- Add stylized finishing effects
- Sharpen an image
- Apply color adjustment presets
- Apply LUTs
- Intro to automatic image editing
- Automatically increase image resolution
- Remove or hide an image background
- Automatically enhance image color
- Automatically match image colors
- Remove color banding in an image
- Automatically reduce image noise
- Automatically crop and straighten images
- Decontaminate image colors
- Add and manage effects
- Adjust effects
- Use effects presets
- Apply styles to layers
- Adjust the opacity of a layer
- Change the blend mode of a layer
- Add an outline around a layer
- Fill a layer with a color or gradient
- Add an inner shadow to a layer
- Add a drop shadow to a layer
- Use layer style presets
- Transform a layer
- Warp a layer
- Intro to retouching and reshaping
- Repair, remove, and clone objects in images
- Lighten or darken areas of an image
- Sharpen and soften areas of images
- Smudge an image
- Adjust color saturation in areas of an image
- Reshape areas of an image
- Intro to painting
- Paint and erase using brushes
- Paint and erase with the Pixel Paint tool
- Fill a layer or selection with color
- Fill specific areas of an image with color
- Fill a layer with a color gradient
- Erase similarly colored areas of an image
- Manage brushes
- Customize brush settings
- Draw vector shapes and graphics
- Combine shapes
- Draw shapes with the Pen tool
- Draw shapes with the Freeform Pen tool
- Edit vector paths
- Manage shapes and collections
- Add basic text
- Add text on a path
- Modify fonts
- Format text characters
- Change the color of text
- Align and space text
- Use text style presets
- Convert text into an outline
- Convert text into a shape or pixel layer
- Intro to masks
- Add and edit bitmap masks
- Add and edit vector masks
- Make a clipping mask
- Convert a selection to a mask
- Crop and straighten images
- Rotate or flip an image
- Trim the edges of the canvas
- Reveal parts of an image beyond the canvas
- Resize an image
- Change the canvas size
- About color management
- Change the color profile of an image
- Change the color depth of an image
- Use histograms
- Export photos, videos, and documents
- Export a document for the web
- Slice documents into individual image exports
- Quickly export or share an optimized image
- Print a document
- Use presets from your Mac on your iPad
- Use the Pixelmator Pro toolbar
- Pixelmator Pro tools
- Use color controls
- Keyboard shortcuts and gestures
- Customize the Tools sidebar
- About the Pixelmator Pro file format
- Supported media formats
- Work with RAW files
- About Pixelmator Pro sidecar files
- Use the Pixelmator Pro Photos extension
- Restore an earlier document version
Copyright and trademarks

Intro to selection tools in Pixelmator Pro on Mac

You can use selection tools to isolate a specific area in a layer, then apply color adjustments, effects, painting, or other modifications to the selected area, leaving the rest of the image untouched.

Pixelmator Pro offers nine selection tools designed for different situations. Quick Selection and Select Subject use algorithms to automatically detect objects and edges. Manual tools like Rectangular Selection and Free Selection give you complete control over selection shape. Color-based tools select areas that have similar colors or tones. Selections are also useful for copying and pasting, or removing specific areas in a composition.

All selection tools work with the same core workflow: Make your initial selection, modify it if needed, then apply edits.

Selection tools

Tool	Description
Rectangular Selection	Makes square and rectangular selections.
Oval Selection	Makes circular and elliptical selections.
Row Selection	Makes horizontal selections of a custom height and the full width of the canvas.
Column Selection	Makes vertical selections of a custom width and the full height of the canvas.
Free Selection	Allows you to draw freehand selections.
Polygonal Selection	Allows you to draw polygonal, jagged selections.
Magnetic Selection	Makes selections that intelligently snap to edges in the document, including edges within an image.
Color Selection	Selects similarly colored areas in an image.
Quick Selection	Intelligently selects part of an image as you drag over it.

Tip: To quickly move any part of your image, select it using any selection tool, click in the Tools sidebar, then drag the selected area to another part of your image.

Helpful?

Pixelmator Pro User Guide for Mac

Intro to selection tools in Pixelmator Pro on Mac

Selection tools