When working in Adobe Photoshop CS5, selecting specific parts of an image is a fundamental skill. Whether you want to crop a photo into a circle, isolate an object, or create a custom graphic, mastering circular selections can save you a ton of time and help you achieve professional results.
In this detailed, step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to make a circular selection in Photoshop CS5, along with pro tips to refine, move, feather, and use your selections creatively.
Understanding Selections in Photoshop CS5
In Photoshop, a selection defines an area of your image that you can edit independently. Anything inside the selection can be modified — and anything outside is temporarily protected.
Selections can be:
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Rectangular
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Circular (elliptical)
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Freeform (using the Lasso tool)
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Based on color or contrast (using the Magic Wand or Quick Selection tools)
For circular selections, Photoshop uses the Elliptical Marquee Tool, which is part of the Marquee Tools group.
Why Use a Circular Selection?
Circular or elliptical selections are used in a variety of design and photo-editing tasks, such as:
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Cropping portraits into circular shapes
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Creating round buttons or badges for web graphics
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Selecting circular objects like clocks, faces, or coins
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Adding vignettes or circular highlights
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Isolating subjects for social media avatars
Essentially, anytime you need a round area of your image, the Elliptical Marquee Tool is your go-to option.
How to Make a Circular Selection in Photoshop CS5
Photoshop CS5 doesn’t have a specific “circle tool” for selections, but you can easily create a perfect circular selection using the Elliptical Marquee Tool and a simple keyboard shortcut.
Here’s how to do it step by step.
Step-by-Step: Using the Elliptical Marquee Tool
Step 1: Open Your Image
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Launch Adobe Photoshop CS5.
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Go to File → Open, and choose the image you want to work with.
Step 2: Select the Elliptical Marquee Tool
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In the Tools panel on the left, find the Rectangular Marquee Tool.
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Right-click (or click and hold) on it.
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From the fly-out menu, choose Elliptical Marquee Tool.
Tip: You can also press M to activate the Marquee tool, then press Shift + M to switch between the rectangular and elliptical modes.
Step 3: Draw Your Circular Selection
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Click and drag your mouse on the canvas.
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You’ll see an ellipse forming as you drag.
If you release the mouse, you’ll see the “marching ants” outline — this represents your active selection.
How to Make a Perfect Circle Selection
To draw a perfect circle, not just an ellipse:
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Hold down the Shift key while dragging the Elliptical Marquee Tool.
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This constrains the proportions, making the selection a perfect circle.
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Release the mouse button first, then release Shift — this ensures the selection keeps its shape.
Pro Tip: Start near the center of the area you want to select to make it easier to position accurately.
How to Move or Adjust a Circular Selection
Sometimes, you’ll draw a selection that’s slightly off-center. No need to start over — you can move it easily.
To Move the Selection Border:
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While the Elliptical Marquee Tool is still active, click inside the selection and drag it to a new position.
To Move the Selected Area’s Contents:
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Switch to the Move Tool (V), then drag the selected content.
To Resize or Transform the Selection:
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Go to Select → Transform Selection.
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Drag the handles to resize or reposition the circular boundary.
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Press Enter/Return to confirm.
How to Reposition a Selection While Drawing
Here’s a Photoshop secret that saves tons of frustration:
If you start dragging a selection and realize it’s not aligned correctly:
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Without releasing the mouse, hold down the Spacebar.
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While still holding the mouse button, move your cursor to reposition the entire selection.
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Release the Spacebar to continue resizing.
This trick helps you center the circle perfectly on your subject.
Feathering Your Circular Selection for Smooth Edges
Feathering softens the edges of your selection, blending it more naturally into the background.
How to Feather:
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Before drawing your selection, go to the Options Bar at the top.
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Set a Feather radius (for example, 5–10 pixels).
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Now draw your circular selection.
Or, if you already made your selection:
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Go to Select → Modify → Feather, and enter your desired feather radius.
Tip: Feathering is especially useful when creating soft vignettes or blending effects.
How to Invert or Modify a Circular Selection
Sometimes, you may want to select everything except your circle. This is easy to do.
To Invert Your Selection:
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Go to Select → Inverse or press Shift + Ctrl + I (Windows) or Shift + Command + I (Mac).
Now, the outer area (everything outside your circle) becomes selected instead.
Using the Circular Selection to Crop an Image into a Circle
Want to crop an image into a circular shape for a logo or profile picture? Follow these steps:
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Use the Elliptical Marquee Tool to draw your circle.
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Go to Select → Inverse, then hit Delete to remove the background.
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Alternatively, copy the circular area:
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Go to Edit → Copy (Ctrl + C)
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Then Edit → Paste (Ctrl + V) into a new document.
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To make the background transparent:
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Add a Layer Mask by clicking the Mask icon in the Layers panel.
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Optional: Save your circular image as a .PNG file to preserve transparency.
Adding a Border or Stroke Around Your Circular Selection
To highlight your selection with a border:
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Make your circular selection.
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Go to Edit → Stroke.
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Enter a width (e.g., 5 px), choose a color, and set Location → Inside.
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Click OK.
Now you’ll have a clean circular border around your selection.
How to Save and Load a Selection in Photoshop CS5
Selections can take time to perfect, so Photoshop allows you to save and reload them later.
To Save a Selection:
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With your circular selection active, go to Select → Save Selection.
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Name your selection and click OK.
To Load a Saved Selection:
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Go to Select → Load Selection.
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Choose your saved name and click OK.
This is great for repeating edits across multiple layers or sessions.
Keyboard Shortcuts for Faster Circular Selections
Here are some handy shortcuts to speed up your workflow:
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Activate Marquee Tool | M |
| Switch between Rectangular & Elliptical | Shift + M |
| Constrain to Perfect Circle | Hold Shift |
| Reposition While Drawing | Hold Spacebar |
| Invert Selection | Shift + Ctrl + I (Windows) / Shift + Cmd + I (Mac) |
| Deselect | Ctrl + D (Windows) / Cmd + D (Mac) |
| Feather Selection | Shift + F6 |
| Transform Selection | Select → Transform Selection |
Troubleshooting: Common Selection Issues
1. Selection Starts at the Wrong Spot
Hold Spacebar while dragging to reposition mid-draw.
2. Edges Look Jagged
Increase the Feather radius or use Anti-aliasing (check the box in the Options Bar).
3. Can’t Move the Selection
Make sure the Elliptical Marquee Tool is active, not the Move Tool.
4. Accidentally Deselect Everything
Press Ctrl + Z (Windows) or Cmd + Z (Mac) to undo.
Pro Tips for Precise Circular Selections
Here are a few advanced techniques used by professional designers:
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Use Guides or Rulers
Enable View → Rulers (Ctrl + R) and Snap To → Guides for perfect alignment. -
Select from Center
Hold Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac) while dragging to draw your circle from the center outward. -
Combine Multiple Selections
Hold Shift to add or Alt/Option to subtract from your existing selection. -
Use Paths for Reusable Circles
Convert your selection into a path via Window → Paths → Make Work Path. Paths can be resized infinitely without losing quality. -
Refine Edge Tool
Use Select → Refine Edge to smooth or feather the selection for high-quality compositing.
Conclusion
Learning how to make a circular selection in Photoshop CS5 is an essential skill for photo editing, design, and compositing. With the Elliptical Marquee Tool and a few simple shortcuts — like holding Shift for perfect circles or Spacebar to reposition — you can create precise, clean circular selections in seconds.
Whether you’re cropping images, designing buttons, or isolating subjects, this tool gives you flexibility and control. Once you master it, you’ll find yourself using circular selections in nearly every creative project.
🔍 Quick Recap
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Use the Elliptical Marquee Tool (
M→Shift + M). -
Hold Shift for perfect circles.
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Hold Spacebar to reposition.
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Feather the edges for smoother blends.
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Invert, move, or transform selections easily.
Now that you know how to do it, try experimenting — combine circular selections with layer masks, gradients, or strokes to unlock new creative possibilities in Photoshop CS5.