Polygonal Lasso Tool

The Polygonal Lasso Tool is perfect for making selections that consist of straight edges. Instead of dragging continuously, you click point-to-point to create a series of connected straight lines that form your selection boundary.

This tool excels at selecting architectural elements, signs, boxes, buildings, and any object defined by straight lines. It gives you more control than the standard Lasso for angular shapes while being faster than the Pen Tool for simple polygons.

Where to Find It

It is grouped with the Lasso Tool in the toolbar. Click and hold the Lasso icon to reveal the flyout, then select the Polygonal Lasso Tool. Alternatively, press L and then Shift+L to cycle to it.

How to Use

• Place anchor points: Click to set the starting point, then move the cursor and click again to place subsequent points. Each click adds a corner to your polygon.
• Complete the selection: Hover over the starting point until a small circle appears next to the cursor, then click to close the selection. Alternatively, double-click anywhere to close with a straight line back to the start.
• Remove the last point: Press the Delete or Backspace key to undo the most recent anchor point, step by step.
• Add or subtract: Hold Shift to add the new polygon to an existing selection, or Alt (Option) to subtract.
• Switch to freehand temporarily: Hold Alt (Option) and drag to switch to the standard Lasso Tool for curved sections, then release Alt to resume point-to-point mode.

Settings & Options

Same options as the standard Lasso Tool:

• Feather: Softens selection edges with a blur transition.
• Anti-alias: Smooths the selection boundary for cleaner edges.
• Refine Edge: Opens Select and Mask for advanced edge refinement.

Pro Tips

• Zoom in closely at each corner point for maximum precision — you can hold Ctrl+Spacebar (Cmd+Spacebar) to temporarily access the Zoom In tool while selecting.
• For curved objects, use the Polygonal Lasso with many short segments — the more points you place on a curve, the smoother it will appear.
• Save complex polygonal selections as alpha channels (Select > Save Selection) so you can reload them later without re-creating all the points.

Common Mistakes

• Clicking too quickly: Rushing the placement of anchor points leads to jagged, imprecise selections. Take your time to place each point accurately.
• Not closing the selection properly: If you accidentally double-click or press Enter prematurely, the selection closes with a straight line from wherever the cursor is — always ensure you're at the correct closing point.