Rectangular Marquee>Modify>Expand ?

[PattyD]

I don't know why I'm having so much trouble lately but here's another question:

When I try to expand my selection the rectangle gets rounded corners. When I contract the selection the corners stay square. When I zoom way way in I can see the square pixels so it doesn't seem right that it should round on the corners.

Is this just the way it is or is there another way I can increase my selection and keep the square corner without just eyeballing it?

Thanks in advance for your help!
Patty

[Robyn]

Patty.........

It sounds to me like your are increasing the feathering on your selection, that will give you the 'rounded corners' that you describe on a selection.
Unless of course the program has 'got itself in a knot' which sometimes happens for whatever reason and you would then need to reset the preferences to get it back on track again. But check your feathering first.

[Wendy]

Hi Patty ...

I'm afraid that Expand works in a pretty strange way ... if you only want to increase it a little then it works fine but for larger increases then it distorts. Circles get squashed in at the sides and squares develop rounded corners ... so I don't use expand for anything more than a few pixels.

Try this instead ... create a new layer.
Fill the selection
then use the move tool to increase the size of the shape on the new layer.
One you have done that Control Click (Mac:Command Click) on the new layer and discard the layer ... leaving you with the selection :)

Not ideal but it doesn't distort the shape ..

Wendy

[Robyn]

Thanks Wendy, I didn't realize that. I suppose I've only ever used it to expand just a couple of pixels.

[Wendy]

Hi Robyn ...

Most people would never notice it at all ... its only when you really bump up the pixel size that it happens :)

Wendy

[GaryK]

HI Robyn

Try making concentric circles about 20 pix bigger each time.:eek::eek:

I remember Tony trying to do a bullseye or something to that effect..just got ugly.:D

[TonyW]

A recent thread on the same subject with some other approaches:

http://www.photoshopelementsuser.com/forum/showthread.php?p=235669#post235669

Using a transform selection add-in is one of the easiest ways.

Tony

[PattyD]

Thanks for all your help again I did check the feather before I posted and I should have written that. I also should have done a search first but I'm kind of new to this message board stuff! My kids think it's hilarious that their mother is actually posting on a message board! Maybe next I'll have my own MySpace page! LOL!
Thanks!
Patty