Copy and Paste an Custom Drawn Area in CS3

[caleb5]

I am using Photoshop CS3 and I am wondering how to draw an area in the way I would a shape using the pen tool, and then copy the contents of that area.  I would think it would be some kind of select, but I can't find abything like it under the select tools section.

Does anyone know how to do this?

Thanks in advance.

[JJMack]

Go to the Path palette and convert the path to a selection. There may be other ways.  I no longer have CS3 installed its very old....

[caleb5]

I drew an outline of what I wanted to select with the pen tool, then used the Path palette to convert the shape to a selection by right clicking on it and click "Make Selection."  It made it a selection, but then when I went to the edit menu, copy was greyed out.  I'm not sure if I am doing this right.  Please watch this video so you can see what I am doing.  I am trying to copy and paste everything that I am outlining with the pen tool.

Photoshop Selection - YouTube

[Jeff Arola]

If your intent is to copy the contents inside the selection to another layer (new layer), then go to Layer>New>Layer Via Copy or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+J.

[Norman Sanders]

At the bottom of the Paths panel is s dotted circle. Rest your cursor on it. It says "Load path as a Selection"

[caleb5]

I have the same problem when doing this.

[Norman Sanders · Accepted solution]

After converting the Path to a Selection choose Select > Save Selection and name it.

Then go to the layer where you want to put the selection. Choose Select > Load Selection and choose the one you named.

The Selection will appear on the layer. (I do not have CS3 but this should work well.)

[caleb5]

Saving the selection worked.  I converted it to a selection, saved the selection, then deleted the layer where the shape was drawn with the pen tool, then loaded the selection, then copied it.

Thanks very much for your help.

[Jeff Arola]

I think i see why your having trouble.

When your using the pen tool you have it set to make a Shape Layer, so after you make the path a selection, the vector mask of the shape layer is still selected and that's why Edit>Copy is greyed out.

In the layers panel with the selection still active click on the layer in the layers panel you want to copy the selection contents from and Edit>Copy should be available as well as Layer>New>Layer Via Copy or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+J.

Most of the time when using the pen tool it's easier to have it set to path instead of shape.

[caleb5]

I see.  I will keep using path instead of shape in mind and use it in the future.

Thanks