Move, copy, and delete selected pixels

Hover layer bounds in the Move tool

Introduced in the Photoshop on desktop (version 25.7) April 2024 release

With hover layer bounds, you can view an object's boundaries as you mouse over them on the canvas.

While the boundary outline is displayed, the corresponding layer will be highlighted in the Layers panel. Additionally, layers with pixel or vector masks will display both visible and hidden layer data.

Hover layer bounds follow the chosen Move tool selection in Auto-Select.

Layer will display the outline of individual layer objects and Group will display the outline of layer groups. They also appear on the canvas as you mouse over layers in the Layers panel.

For overlapping layers, you can view the boundaries of additional layers that share the same pixel coordinates by pressing the [ and ] keys. These keyboard shortcuts can be customized in Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts > Tools.

Once the desired group or layer boundaries are displayed, select or drag to interact with the outlined layer.

You can customize these behaviors of hover layer bounds:

• Customize the color and thickness and the Layers panel highlight color in Preferences > Guides, Grid & Slices.
  
• Show or hide hover layer boundaries or the Layers panel highlights in in the gear menu of the Move tool in the options bar.
• Customize whether selecting a layer from the canvas expands layer groups in the gear menu of the Move tool in the options bar.

Copy and paste selections

You can use the Move tool to copy selections as you drag them within or between images, or you can copy and move selections using the Copy, Copy Merged, Cut, and Paste commands. Dragging with the Move tool saves memory because you don't use the clipboard.

When you paste a selection or layer between images with different resolutions, the pasted data retains its pixel dimensions. This can make the pasted portion appear out of proportion to the new image. Use the Image Size command to make the source and destination images the same resolution before copying and pasting, or use the Free Transform command to resize the pasted content.

Depending on your color management settings and the color profile associated with the file (or imported data), you may be prompted to specify how to handle color information in the file (or imported data).

Understanding the Copy and Paste commands

Copies the selected area on the active layer.

Makes a merged copy of all the visible layers in the selected area.

Pastes a copied selection into another part of the image or into another image as a new layer. If you have a selection, the Paste command places the copied selection over the current selection. Without an active selection, Paste places the copied selection in the middle of the view area.

If the clipboard contains pixels copied from another Photoshop document, pastes the selection into the same relative location in the target document as it occupied in the source.

Pastes a copied selection into or outside another selection in any image. The source selection is pasted onto a new layer, and the destination selection border is converted into a layer mask.

Copy a selection

Copy a selection while dragging

Create multiple copies of a selection within an image

Paste one selection into or outside another

How to copy and paste between applications

You can use the Cut, Copy, or Paste commands to copy selections from Photoshop and paste them into other applications, or to paste artwork from other applications into Photoshop. The cut or copied selection remains on the clipboard until you cut or copy another selection. You can also copy artwork between Photoshop and Illustrator by dragging and dropping.

In some cases, the contents of the clipboard are converted to a raster image. Photoshop prompts you when vector artwork will be rasterized. The image is rasterized at the resolution of the file into which you paste it. Vector Smart Objects are not rasterized.

Delete or cut selected pixels

Choose Edit > Clear, or press Backspace (Win) or Delete (Mac). To cut a selection to the clipboard, choose Edit > Cut. 

Deleting a selection on a background layer replaces the original color with the background color. Deleting a selection on a standard layer replaces the original color with layer transparency.