Learn how to select subject in Photoshop cc 20 with this easy guide

Do you ever wish there was a tool that could select multiple objects for you in a picture? Well, your wish has now been granted. All thanks to the Subject Selection Tool in Photoshop CC 2020!

Photoshop, a widely popular tool used for designing websites, video editing, creating 3D animations, etc., acknowledged that different pixels were varying colors and some were lighter or darker than others. However, for all its power, Photoshop couldn't really comprehend the bigger picture. It couldn't figure out whether the object in the image is a person, an animal, a tree, or perhaps any other object. For Photoshop, everything was merely pixels.

However, in CC 2018, Adobe introduced that same technology to Photoshop as an innovative selection command known as Select Subject. And in CC 2020, Select Subject has been dramatically upgraded. And voila, now you can select multiple objects at the same time.

Today, we will explain how to use the all-new Select Subject Tool in Photoshop CC 2020 to select objects in your photos instantly! 

Where to find the Select Subject command?

Select Subject automatically detects the main subject in the image and selects it. And all this with just one click! Indeed, the results will differ depending on your image. Ready to try your hands on this magical tool?

So let's dive in to learn how to use the select subject command in Photoshop cc 20. We'll also demonstrate how to use the select subject command with images having single and multiple subjects, respectively.

From the Menu Bar

The most straightforward way to start Select Subject is by going in the Select menu in the Menu Bar and then selecting Subject.

From the Options Bar

• See if the Object Selection Tool, the Quick Selection Tool, or the Magic Wand Tool is running in the toolbar.

• .If yes, you'll see the Select Subject button in the Options Bar.

How Select Subject Work?

Select Subject automatically identifies the most striking object in the image and creates a selection outline around it. All you ought to do is choose the Select Subject command, and Photoshop will handle the rest. Isn't that excellent?

Now, let's look at a few real-life instances of how to use select subject in Photoshop cc 20.

Example 1: To select a Single Subject

This is a close-up, indoor portrait shot. Besides Adobe Sensei's ability to identify people in a photo, this image itself offers a very significant advantage to help Select Subject, and that is its sharpness. To see how good Select Subject in Photoshop CC 2020 is at its job, let's see how brilliantly it isolates the woman from the background.

Apply the Select Subject command

• Click on Select Subject from the Select menu in the Menu Bar and then click on Subject.
• The Select command is fully automatic and so is not followed by any other option or dialogue boxes.

Going to Select Subject

• Photoshop examines the image, looking for the main subject. 
• And once it does that, a selection outline appears around the subject.

View the selection in Quick Mask mode

• To make the selection convenient to see, you can turn on Photoshop's Quick Mask mode by clicking on the Quick Mask icon from the toolbar.
• You can likewise toggle Quick Mask on and off by pressing the letter Q from your keyboard.

Enabling Quick Mask mode

• In the Quick Mask mode, a red-colored overlay fills the area around the selection.
• This makes it quite easy to notice that Select Subject did a great job in isolating the woman from the rest of the photo.

Zoom in for a closer look

• When we zoom in on the image, you can see that Select Subject did an excellent job of selecting the woman's hair.
• As you can see, the smaller strands of hair along the sides have also been incorporated, and the edges along the t-shirt have a smoother transition to them.
• This makes the hair blend more naturally with a contrasting background.

However, like we already mentioned in the beginning, Select Subject's results will differ depending on the image. Now, let's see how the Select Subject performs in case an image has multiple subjects.

Example 2: To Select Multiple Subjects

Now, let's see if Select Subject can identify two people in the same photo.

Apply the Select Subject command

• Click on Select Subject from the Select menu in the Menu Bar and then click on Subject.

Going to Select > Subject

• After a few seconds, the selection outlines appear. 
• As you can see, it looks promising so far, with an outline surrounding both the man and woman.
• Both subjects have been selected now.

View the selection in Quick Mask mode

• Turn on the Quick Mask mode from the toolbar.

Clicking the Quick Mask icon

• As you can see, the Select Subject had no difficulty detecting both the subjects, although they were on the opposite sides of the image.

Zoom in for a closer look

• As we zoom in on the image, you can see that Select Subject did a fabulous job of selecting the old man's hair. 
• Again, the smaller strands of the old man's hair were included along with the edges of the t-shirt, adding a smoother transition to them. 
• This makes the subject blend more naturally with a contrasting background.

Wrapping Up

Select Subject is an excellent automatic selection command that can identify and select the main subject in your image. And thanks to Photoshop CC 2020, Select Subject's results are more impressive than ever. 

So, what's stopping you? Start using Select Subject as a time-saving tool to isolate your subject(s) from its background.

Like any other selection tool, Select Subject can help you get there. And the point that it does all this with just a single click is pretty is quite astonishing. However, you might still need to sharpen your selection after using Photoshop's Select and Mask workspace. 

Have any questions for us? Do let us know.

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Editor: Richa Sharma