Lasso Tool

The Lasso Tool provides a quick and highly flexible way to draw freeform selection borders around any part of your image.

Simply click and drag to draw a custom shape. Once you release the mouse button, Photoshop automatically closes the path to create an active selection selection boundary.

It is best suited for quick, rough selections where precision is less critical. You can hold down Shift to add to your current selection, or hold down Alt (Option on Mac) to subtract from it.

Where to Find It

The Lasso Tool is located in the toolbar, grouped with the Polygonal Lasso and Magnetic Lasso tools. Click and hold the Lasso icon to access the full group, or press L to activate it, then press Shift+L to cycle through the variants.

How to Use

• Start a freehand selection: Click and drag the cursor around the object you want to select, keeping the mouse button held down throughout.
• Complete the selection: Release the mouse button to automatically close the selection by connecting the end point to the start point with a straight line.
• Add to existing selection: Hold Shift (a + sign appears) and draw another lasso region to merge with the current selection.
• Subtract from selection: Hold Alt (Option) and draw around the area you want to remove from the existing selection.
• Intersect selections: Hold Shift+Alt (Shift+Option) to create an intersection of the new and existing selection areas.

Settings & Options

• Feather: Adds a soft blur to the selection edge, measured in pixels. A value of 0 creates a hard edge.
• Anti-alias: Smoothes the selection edges to reduce jaggedness. Recommended to keep enabled for most tasks.
• Refine Edge: Opens the Select and Mask workspace for advanced edge detection and refinement.

Pro Tips

• Use a graphics tablet and stylus for much smoother and more accurate freehand lasso selections than a mouse can provide.
• For precise selections, combine the Lasso Tool with Quick Mask Mode (press Q) — paint in the areas you want selected, then press Q to convert back to a selection.
• Hold Alt (Option) and release the mouse to switch temporarily to the Polygonal Lasso Tool mid-drag for straight-edged segments.

Common Mistakes

• Relying solely on the Lasso for complex selections: The standard Lasso is best for rough outlines; use the Magnetic Lasso or Pen Tool for high-precision work.
• Not zooming in: Attempting detailed selections at low zoom levels often results in missed edges. Zoom to at least 100% for better accuracy.