Refine and soften selection edges

The Select and Mask workspace allows you to refine and improve selection edges for greater precision. This option allows you to extract objects more cleanly and refine layer masks. Selecting Select and Mask from the options bar or from Select > Select and Mask gives you access to dedicated tools for refining edges.

In addition to Select and Mask, Photoshop offers two key techniques to soften selection boundaries: anti-aliasing and feathering. These methods help achieve smoother, more natural transitions between selections and surrounding pixels.

Anti-aliasing

Anti-aliasing smooths jagged edges by softening the color transition between edge pixels and the background. Only the edge pixels are modified, so no detail is lost. This method is beneficial when selections are cut, copied, or pasted into composite images.

Anti-aliasing can be enabled for tools such as the Lasso , Polygonal Lasso , Magnetic Lasso , Elliptical Marquee , and Magic Wand . You must enable this setting in the Options bar before making a selection.

Feathering

Feathering softens edges by creating a transition zone between the selection and its surroundings. Unlike anti-aliasing, which may reduce sharp detail at the boundary, feathering introduces a blur effect.

Feathering can be applied when using tools like the Rectangular Marquee , Lasso , Polygonal Lasso , or Magnetic Lasso , and it can also be applied after a selection has been made. The effect becomes visible only after you move, cut, copy, or fill the selection.