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How to Use the Lasso Tools in Photoshop Elements for Freehand Selections

5 min read

Why the Lasso Tools Matter for Family Photo Editing

Sometimes you need to select something that automatic tools just cannot figure out — a toddler's outstretched hand, grandma's favourite hat, or an oddly shaped birthday cake. That is exactly when the Lasso tools in Photoshop Elements become your best friends.

PSE gives you three different Lasso tools, each designed for a specific kind of selection task. Once you understand when to reach for each one, you will feel confident tackling any selection challenge in your family photos.

Finding the Lasso Tools in Photoshop Elements

Open your photo in Advanced mode (the full editing workspace). Look at the Toolbox on the left side of your screen. Click and hold on the Lasso Tool icon — it looks like a small lasso rope. A flyout menu appears showing all three options:

  • Lasso Tool — for completely freehand drawing
  • Polygonal Lasso Tool — for straight-edged selections
  • Magnetic Lasso Tool — for selections that snap to edges

Let us explore each one so you know exactly when to use it.

The Lasso Tool: Pure Freehand Selection

The basic Lasso Tool lets you draw a selection as if tracing with a pencil. This works beautifully when you need to follow curved, organic shapes — like selecting a pet's body or a child's curly hair outline.

How to use the Lasso Tool

  1. 1Select the Lasso Tool from the Toolbox or press L on your keyboard.
  2. 2Click at your starting point on the photo.
  3. 3Hold down your mouse button and drag carefully around the area you want to select.
  4. 4Return to your starting point and release the mouse button.
  5. 5Marching ants appear around your selection.

Tip: If your hand slips, do not worry. Press Ctrl+D (Windows) or Cmd+D (Mac) to deselect, then try again. With a little practice, your selections will become smoother.

The Polygonal Lasso Tool: Perfect for Straight Edges

When you need to select something with straight sides — a picture frame on the wall, a rectangular gift box, or the edge of a table — the Polygonal Lasso Tool is far easier than trying to draw straight lines by hand.

How to use the Polygonal Lasso Tool

  1. 1Click and hold on the Lasso Tool icon, then choose Polygonal Lasso Tool.
  2. 2Click once at your starting point — do not hold the mouse button.
  3. 3Move to the next corner and click again. Photoshop Elements draws a perfectly straight line between your clicks.
  4. 4Continue clicking at each corner or direction change.
  5. 5Return to your starting point. A small circle appears next to your cursor.
  6. 6Click to close the selection.

This tool is wonderful for selecting architectural elements in travel photos or cutting out rectangular objects from busy backgrounds.

The Magnetic Lasso Tool: Let PSE Help You

The Magnetic Lasso Tool is the clever helper of the group. It detects edges in your photo and snaps your selection line to them automatically. This makes selecting objects with clear edges — like a person wearing a dark jacket against a light background — much faster.

How to use the Magnetic Lasso Tool

  1. 1Choose Magnetic Lasso Tool from the Lasso flyout menu.
  2. 2Look at the Tool Options bar at the bottom of your screen. You will see settings for Width, Contrast, and Frequency.
  3. 3Click once at the edge of the object you want to select.
  4. 4Move your cursor slowly along the edge — you do not need to hold the mouse button.
  5. 5PSE automatically places anchor points where it detects edges.
  6. 6If the tool misses an edge, click manually to add your own anchor point.
  7. 7Return to your starting point and click to close the selection.

Adjusting Magnetic Lasso settings

  • Width controls how far from your cursor the tool looks for edges. Use a smaller number for detailed work.
  • Contrast determines how different two tones must be for PSE to see them as an edge. Higher values work better for obvious edges.
  • Frequency sets how often anchor points are placed. Higher numbers mean more points and tighter curves.

Combining Lasso Tools for Tricky Selections

Here is a secret that even many experienced Photoshop Elements users do not know: you can switch between Lasso tools mid-selection.

Imagine you are selecting a garden shed — it has straight sides but a curved flower pot in front. Start with the Polygonal Lasso Tool for the straight walls. When you reach the flower pot, hold Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac) and drag freehand around the curve. Release the key to return to clicking straight segments.

This flexibility makes the Lasso tools incredibly powerful for real-world family photos where nothing is perfectly geometric.

Refining Your Lasso Selection

Once you have made your selection, you might notice small areas that need adjustment. Photoshop Elements makes this easy:

  • To add to your selection, hold Shift and draw around the missed area.
  • To subtract from your selection, hold Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac) and draw around what you want to remove.

For even smoother edges, go to Select → Feather and enter a small value like 2–5 pixels. This softens the edge so your edits blend naturally.

What to Do After Your Selection

With your selection active, you can:

  • Adjust colours or brightness of just that area using Enhance → Adjust Lighting → Levels
  • Copy the selection to a new layer with Ctrl+J (Windows) or Cmd+J (Mac)
  • Delete the selected area to reveal a background layer beneath
  • Apply effects only within the selected region

The Lasso tools give you precise control over exactly which parts of your photo get edited — perfect for those moments when automatic selections just will not do.

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