How to Select by Color in GIMP

Sometimes while using GIMP, you’ll want to select particular sections of an image based on its color. Maybe you’ve tried using GIMP’s Magic Wand and quickly learned it wasn’t the best tool for the job. There’s a better way to select all sections of an image with the same color.

In this article, we’ll cover how to select by color in GIMP, and also how to select transparent color.

How to Select by Color in GIMP

Selecting all elements of an image with the same color regardless of where they are located can easily be accomplished. To learn how to do this, follow the steps below.

1. Open the GIMP file that contains the image you want to select by color.
   
2. Choose the “Select by Color” icon.
   
3. Tap on an area in the image that contains the color you want to work with.
   
4. The areas selected will now have a dotted line around them.
   

Sometimes, the Select by Color tool won’t capture all the areas you wanted. If that happens, you can increase the threshold for the tool. To learn how, do the following.

1. With the “Select by Color” tool, go to the options on the lower-right side of the screen.
   
2. Locate “Threshold” and increase the number by tapping on the up arrow.
   
3. Once you’ve adjusted the tool’s threshold, click on a spot in the image that has the color you want to be selected. With a higher or lower threshold, more of the image should now be selected.
   
4. You can continue to adjust the threshold level until all of the color you want to work with has been selected.
   

How to Select Transparent Color in GIMP

There could come a time when you’ll want to select all of the transparent color in an image. Transparent color in a GIMP image is created by setting up a new alpha channel, so it’s different than selecting part of an image by color. To select all transparent color in GIMP, follow the steps below.

1. Open the GIMP file that has the image you need to select the transparent color.
   
2. For Windows PC users, press “Control + L” to access the “Layers Window.” Mac users can press “Command + L.”
   
3. With the “Layers Window” open, click on the layer with the gray-and-white checkerboard pattern. This is the alpha channel layer that contains the transparent color in a GIMP image.
   
4. All transparent color in the image will be selected.

FAQ

Why can’t I just use the Fuzzy Select tool to select a color in Gimp?

There is a slight difference between the Fuzzy Select and Select by Color tools. Both of these tools will help you select areas of an image with the same or similar color. The difference is that the Fuzzy Select tool will only select an area of continuous color. If there are several areas in your image with the same color, but they are separated, the Fuzzy Select tool will only select one of them.

The Select by Color tool doesn’t have this restriction, and should be used when trying to select all areas with the same color, regardless of whether they share a border or not.

What are the options for the Select by Color tool?

The Select by Color tool has several options that can help you fine-tune your selection. Sometimes you’ll need to adjust these to precisely capture all of the areas you want.

Anti-aliasing

This setting helps to reduce jagged edges when selecting areas.

Feather Edges

You can use this to further refine your edges.

Threshold

The threshold setting helps to determine how much you want to deviate from a color selection. The higher the threshold, the wider the range of color will be that the tool will select.

Select by

Use this setting to target a specific hue channel, such as RGB, Alpha, HSV hue, or HSV saturation.

Draw Mask

The Draw Mask option is of great value if you’re having difficulty seeing the selected area. This option will add a magenta overlay to the selected areas of the image.

Use the Right Tool for the Job

The Fuzzy Select and Select by Color tools serve different purposes. To select all areas with the same color, the Select by Color tool will make your job much easier. Also different is how you select a color and select transparent color. By using layers, you can grab all of the transparent color in an image with a single click.

Have you had to select by color in GIMP? Did you use the same methods we outlined in this article? Let us know in the comments section below.