This lesson covers the three flavors of the Lasso Tool: Lasso, Polygonal Lasso, Magnetic Lasso — the classic way to make freehand selections.
2026 note: This lesson was recorded on Photoshop CS6 in 2014. Adobe no longer sells the CS line — Photoshop now ships via Creative Cloud subscription. About 95% of the menus and shortcuts shown in the video still match the modern version; only the iconography is a bit fresher.
Three Lasso Modes
- Lasso (L) — drag freely for a single selection. Joyful with a tablet, awkward with a mouse.
- Polygonal Lasso — straight-line selection. Perfect for boxy objects.
- Magnetic Lasso — snaps to contrasted edges automatically. Good for quick masks.
Practical Tips
Shiftadds to selection,Altsubtracts.Ctrl/Cmd + Ddeselects.- After selecting, apply Select > Modify > Feather (1–3 px) for soft edges.
- In Magnetic Lasso,
Backspaceremoves the last anchor point.
2026 Add-on — Object Selection & Select Subject
Modern Photoshop’s Object Selection Tool and Select > Subject use AI to create clean masks in seconds. For complex objects they beat the Lasso. Hair-fine detail still needs Select and Mask plus manual cleanup.
