ACA Working with Layers and Selections 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which selection tool in Photoshop is best for selecting irregularly shaped objects with high-contrast edges automatically?
- Rectangular Marquee
- Single Row Marquee
- Magnetic Lasso (Correct answer)
- Polygonal Lasso
Correct answer: Magnetic Lasso
The Magnetic Lasso snaps automatically to high-contrast edges as you drag around an object.
Question 2: When you save a selection in Photoshop, where is it stored?
- As a new layer in the Layers panel
- As a channel in the Channels panel (Correct answer)
- As a path in the Paths panel
- As a snapshot in the History panel
Correct answer: As a channel in the Channels panel
Saved selections are stored as alpha channels in the Channels panel and can be reloaded at any time.
Question 3: What is the effect of lowering the Opacity of a layer in Photoshop?
- The layer becomes completely invisible
- The layer becomes semi-transparent, revealing layers below (Correct answer)
- The layer's colors become desaturated
- The layer merges with the one below it
Correct answer: The layer becomes semi-transparent, revealing layers below
Lowering layer Opacity makes the layer semi-transparent so underlying layers show through.
Question 4: Which option in the Select menu allows you to select all pixels of a specific color range in an image?
- Select All
- Color Range (Correct answer)
- Grow
- Similar
Correct answer: Color Range
Select > Color Range lets you sample colors and select all matching pixels across the image.
Question 5: What does 'Lock Transparent Pixels' on a layer do in Photoshop?
- Prevents moving the layer
- Protects transparent areas so only existing pixels can be edited (Correct answer)
- Locks the layer's position and opacity
- Converts transparent pixels to white
Correct answer: Protects transparent areas so only existing pixels can be edited
Locking transparent pixels confines all painting and editing to only the pixels that already have content on that layer.
Question 6: In Photoshop, what does 'Merge Visible' do compared to 'Flatten Image'?
- They are identical commands
- Merge Visible merges only visible layers into a new layer, keeping hidden layers intact (Correct answer)
- Merge Visible discards hidden layers while Flatten Image keeps them
- Merge Visible only works on selected layers
Correct answer: Merge Visible merges only visible layers into a new layer, keeping hidden layers intact
Merge Visible (Ctrl+Shift+E) merges all visible layers but leaves hidden layers untouched, unlike Flatten Image.
Question 7: What does feathering a selection do in Photoshop?
- Adds a decorative border around the selection
- Creates a soft, gradual transition at the selection edge (Correct answer)
- Snaps the selection to the nearest pixel grid
- Converts the selection to a vector shape
Correct answer: Creates a soft, gradual transition at the selection edge
Feathering creates a gradual fade at the selection boundary, blending edits smoothly into surrounding pixels.
ACA Working with Layers and Selections 3
Which selection tool in Photoshop is best for selecting irregularly shaped objects with high-contrast edges automatically?