Freeform Selection

The Freeform Selection tool allows you to select irregularly shaped portions of your image – some other programs refer to this as "lasso select". You may then move, resize, apply effects to, copy, or duplicate the selected region.

A freeform selection is defined by a mask, which specifies the parts of the selection that show through. You can remove the mask to effectively turn the selection rectangular. Note that when you apply filters to a masked selection, the mask is retained even though the filter preview may imply otherwise.

If your selection contains transparency, you can achieve a similar effect via the alpha channel by setting the Selection Compositing Mode to "Overlay" via the Format menu.

See also:

• Rectangular Selection tool
• Magic Wand tool
• Selection