Photoshop

Load a layer or layer mask’s boundaries as a selection

You can select all the non-transparent areas on a layer, or, if a layer mask exists, all the unmasked areas. This is useful when you want to select text or image content that is surrounded by or contains transparent areas, or to create a selection that excludes masked areas on a layer.

  1. Do one of the following:

    • To select only the non-transparent areas on an unmasked layer, Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) the layer thumbnail in the Layers palette.

    • To select the unmasked areas on a layer that has a layer mask, Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) the layer mask thumbnail in the Layers palette.

  2. If a selection already exists, you can do any of the following:

    • To add the pixels to an existing selection, press Ctrl+Shift (Windows) or Command+Shift (Mac OS), and click the layer thumbnail or layer mask thumbnail in the Layers palette.

    • To subtract the pixels from an existing selection, press Ctrl+Alt (Windows) or Command+Option (Mac OS), and click the layer thumbnail or layer mask thumbnail in the Layers palette.

    • To load the intersection of the pixels and an existing selection, press Ctrl+Alt+Shift (Windows) or Command+Option+Shift (Mac OS), and click the layer thumbnail or layer mask thumbnail in the Layers palette.

    If you want to move all the contents of a layer, use the Move tool without loading a transparency mask.