Draw straight-edged segments of a selection border

Last updated on Oct 27, 2025

Learn to use the Polygonal Lasso tool to draw precise, straight-edged selections in Adobe Photoshop.

Select the Polygonal Lasso tool from the toolbar.

Select a selection mode from the Options bar.

Type a Feather value and select the Anti-alias checkbox to smooth selection edges.

Select on the canvas to set the starting point of your selection.

  • To draw a straight segment, select again where you want the segment to end.
  • To constrain a segment to a 45° angle, hold Shift and select the next point.
  • To draw a freehand segment, hold Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) and drag.
  • To undo the last segment, press the Delete key.

To close the selection,

  • Select at the starting point when the circular icon appears over Polygonal Lasso icon.
  • Double-click or press Ctrl+click (Windows) or Command+click (macOS) to close the selection if you're not at the starting point.