Saving and loading selections

Working with selections : Saving and loading selections

You can save complicated selections that you may want to reuse. You can also save selections as files or as alpha channels.

When you save a selection, it is saved as a separate file with a .PspSelection filename extension. When you load a selection into an image, Corel PaintShop Pro creates a selection based on luminance, non-black pixels, or opacity.

Alpha channels in images are data storage areas that hold selections and masks. When you save a selection as an alpha channel, the selection is stored as part of the image on which it was originally created, rather than as a separate file. Selections and masks stored in alpha channels have no effect on the look of an image.

When you save the image in a file format other than the PspImage file format, its alpha channels are not saved. Therefore, it is best to keep a master copy of your image in PspImage format.

When you save a selection to an alpha channel within a PspImage image, you can load that selection from the alpha channel into the same image or into any other image.

If you saved selections to alpha channels that you no longer need, you can delete them. Only alpha channels from the current image can be deleted.

To save a selection to a file

Edit workspace

1 Choose Selections  Load/Save Selection  Save Selection to Disk to open the Save Selection to Disk dialog box.

The Selection Files group box displays selection files in ...Documents\Corel PaintShop Pro\19.0\Selections. To change the default folder, or to add another folder, click the File Locations button

in the Selection Files drop-list.

2 In the File name box, type a name for the selection.

3 Click Save.

To load a selection file from disk

Edit workspace

1 Choose Selections  Load/Save Selections  Load Selection From Disk.

The Load Selection from Disk dialog box appears.

The Selection group box shows selection files in all folders. To change the default folder for locating selections, click the File Locations button

in the Selection drop-list.

2 Choose a selection from the Selection drop-list.

3 In the Operation group box, choose one of the following options:

• Replace selection

• Add to current selection

• Subtract from current selection

4 In the Create Selection From group box, choose one of the following options:

• Source luminance

• Any non-zero value

• Source opacity

5 Click Load.

To save a selection to an alpha channel

Edit workspace

1 Choose Selections  Load/Save Selections  Save Selection to Alpha Channel.

The Save Selection to Alpha Channel dialog box appears.

2 Choose an image from the Add to document drop-list in the Alpha Channels group box.

Any existing alpha channels in the image are shown in the preview box below the drop-list.

3 Click Save.

The selection is saved to the alpha channel.

You can also
Save a selection to the alpha channel of another image	Select the image name in the Add to document drop-list, and click Save. Note: The second image must be open in Corel PaintShop Pro for it to appear in the Add to document drop-list.
Change the default name for the new alpha channel	Type a new name in the Name box.
Move the selection to the upper-left corner of the image canvas	Mark the Move to upper left of canvas check box. Note: This option is useful when a selection does not appear on the canvas because it is larger than the image.

To load a selection from an alpha channel

Edit workspace

1 Choose Selections  Load/Save Selection  Load Selection From Alpha Channel.

The Load Selection from Alpha Channel dialog box appears.

If you want to show the area around the selection as either transparent or black, click the Toggle transparency checkerboard button

in the Preview group box.

2 From the Load From Document drop-list, choose the filename of the image that contains the alpha channel you want to load.

Note: The image must be open in Corel PaintShop Pro for it to appear in the Load From Document drop-list.

3 In the Operation group box, choose one of the following options:

• Replace selection

• Add to current selection

• Subtract from current selection

A message in the Operations group box indicates how the alpha channel intersects the canvas of the current image.

Note: If the alpha channel does not intersect the image canvas or intersects it only partially, you can move the selection onto the image canvas by marking the Move to upper left check box.

4 In the Options group box, choose one or more of the following options:

• Move to upper left

• Clip to canvas

• Invert selection

5 Click Load.

You can also
Clip the selection wherever it extends beyond the image canvas	In the Options group box, mark the Clip to canvas check box.
Select everything outside the original selection	In the Options group box, mark the Invert image check box.

To delete an alpha channel

Edit workspace

1 Choose Image  Delete Alpha Channel.

The Delete Alpha Channel dialog box appears.

2 Choose the alpha channel you want to delete from the drop-list in the Alpha Channels group box.

If you want to delete all alpha channels, mark the Delete all alpha channels check box.

3 Click Delete.