Blocking Information on JPG Image

[Inspeqtor]

Somehow when I do the Ctrl-click I am not getting the marching ants after doing the Marquee selection.  When I then do the Ctr-J I do then get the new layer and I can see the selection was made properly.  If I hide the original layer I see the selection in the main window is correct.

What am I do wrong to not see the marching ants?

I have my mouse over the new Layer 1, pressing the Ctrl key then pressing the LEFT mouse button.

When I go to Edit> Fill Layer it covers the entire image.

[Sepiana]

If you are getting the Edit>Fill Layer command, then, you don't have your selection activated (marching ants). That's why Elements is filling the entire image with color. If the selection has been activated, the command will say Edit>Fill Selection and Elements will fill with color ONLY the area within the boundaries established by the marching ants.

[Inspeqtor]

Do you have any idea what I might be doing wrong that I do not see the marching ants?

[Sepiana]

The only time I see this happen is when Ctrl-click is not being done right. If you click on the layer name (to the right of the layer thumbnail), it won't work. No marching ants! Ctrl-click has to be done on the layer thumbnail.

It may help if you post a screen shot of the layer stack. Maybe something else is going on.

[hmca]

Charles, I have been following this thread. I agree with Sepiana.

May 8, 2021 4:15:13 GMT Sepiana said:

The only time I see this happen is when Ctrl-click is not being done right. If you click on the layer name (to the right of the layer thumbnail), it won't work. No marching ants! Ctrl-click has to be done on the layer thumbnail.

Make sure you are control clicking inside the checker box with your selection.

[Inspeqtor]

May 8, 2021 4:29:58 GMT hmca said:

Charles, I have been following this thread. I agree with Sepiana.

May 8, 2021 4:15:13 GMT Sepiana said:

The only time I see this happen is when Ctrl-click is not being done right. If you click on the layer name (to the right of the layer thumbnail), it won't work. No marching ants! Ctrl-click has to be done on the layer thumbnail.

Make sure you are control clicking inside the checker box with your selection.

You posted while I was making the screen shot for Sepiana.  As I told Sepiana, I am not clicking on the file name - I am inside the top layers box

[Inspeqtor]

Time for me to get to bed.  See ya in the morning!

[hmca]

Oh good, me too . A good night's sleep may do the trick.

[Sepiana]

May 8, 2021 4:33:14 GMT Inspeqtor said:

Trust me, I am not clicking on the layer name.

Charles,

I checked your screen shot. I see no problem with the layer stack; you got this part right. I'm inclined to say that the problem lies with Ctrl-click.

Let's recap . . .

- While holding down the Ctrl key, click on the layer thumbnail. One click -- that's all you need.
- Now you should see marching ants around the selection in the working space.

May 8, 2021 4:33:14 GMT Inspeqtor said:

Is there a way to increase the layer panel size within Elements?

- Place the cursor over the left edge of the Layers panel (the edge next to the working space).
- When the cursor turns into a double-headed arrow, drag the edge out.

[Chris]

Charles, try this. First, left click on the "Move" tool.





Then while the "Control" button is being pressed, left click on the Layer icon in the layers panel.

Then you should see the "marching ants" around your selected object. Once its selected, you will be able to fill it with colour using the paint bucket tool or the brush tool.


Actually, clicking on the move tool first is not a requirement for this to work. Even if other tools are selected it should work. However, it's worth a try. 

Kind regards
Chris

[Lillias]

As ever with PSE there is more than one way of doing things.

I hope I’m not stepping on any ones toes here as I realise a lot of good advice has already been given but another way to approach this would be as follows...

First via the colour picker choose the colour you want as per the instructions provided earlier in this post then click on the Custom Shape Tool. Along the bottom of your screen you will see the Shape Tool Choices - click on the Rectangle Shape.

With that Shape chosen go to your document and click and drag across the part of your page that you wish hidden. Let go your mouse and voila it should be done.

[cats4jan]

I like how Lillias has tackled your problem, I think it is the easiest solution. After you make your block of color with the shape tool, you can manipulate it (change the shape/size/move it) using the move tool

---------------------------------------------------
Realize there just is no right or wrong way to accomplish tasks in PSE - we develop habits where we use the same methods all the time - they aren't better than others - they just are different than the way others do something


... if you still want to figure out how to do it using the marquee tool -

-- start all over again - Open a fresh project with just your jpg on it

-- and do only these steps:

Make sure your foreground color of choice is selected

*Grab the marquee tool and draw your box
*Open a new layer above the original jpg layer
*In the layers panel, make sure you are on the new layer - you should still be able to see the marching ants on your project
  but you will not see anything on the new layer in the layers panel - it will just look empty
*Grab the paint bucket and click within your selection on your project - the selection will fill with color
*Control/Command D will turn off the selection

Notice:  I did not use Control/Command J - instead I opened a new layer while in the layers panel

The square of color will be on its own layer and can be manipulated with the move tool - it can be enlarged/reduced in size and it can be moved around. It can even be changed from a rectangle to a square by pushing in on the side while the move tool is selected

I realize this is just another iteration of the same thing that has been discussed in all the above posts, but I find it best to start fresh when I hit a glitch. 

[cats4jan]

I can feel your frustration in trying to figure out where you are going wrong -

Please do not be insulted if I'm going too far back to basics, but sometimes one gets stuck and needs a refresher


This is your marquee tool



This is your layers panel - Notice one layer is blue - which means that is the layer you are working on

to open a new layer, choose the first icon from the icons across the top - the one with the bent bottom left corner



Here's your paint bucket

[hmca]

Proof to the saying that sometimes it takes a village.

[cats4jan]

May 8, 2021 12:11:59 GMT hmca said:

Proof to the saying that sometimes it takes a village.

I hesitated chiming in - he's already received the greatest of info from everyone else - but hey - who knows what will click.

I hate when I get stuck like he has. I remember frustrating times when I am sure I'm doing something correctly, yet nothing works. It's disheartening.