Our Friend the Alt Key

When you start with Photoshop you learn by clicking on tools and using them. Need another tool just go to the tool bar and click on it. Simple but what a lot people don’t know is that with many of the tools if you hold down the Alt (Ok you Mac users the Option) key you can get more from the tool. For example if you are using the Clone tool you know to hold down the Alt key to take a sample but did you know that when you are using the Quick Selection tool and it is in the plus or add to selection mode and you hold down the Alt key you are now in the subtraction mode. This works also with the Marquee tool for add or subtracting from the selection.

The Alt key also works with many of the sliders. If you are making an adjustment with Levels and want to know when you are clipping your highlights just hold down the Alt key while moving the highlight point (that little white triangle under the histogram on the right). The image will go white and when you start to move it to the left the highlights that are being clipped (blown out) start to show up. The same will happen if you hold down the Alt key with the Black point (the black triangle on the left side under the histogram). The image will go black and start to change when you move it the right.

This also works in Camera RAW ACR for Sharpening. Holding down the Alt Key while moving the sliders will show you Masking and Detail in the overlay mode.

So if you are bored and want to see what might happen if you hold down the Alt key try it with tools and sliders. Many time you might be surprised.