# Using the Marquee tools

The Marquee tools are used to select a rectangular or elliptical region of the image.

1. Select the Rectangular Marquee or Elliptical Marquee tool by clicking on its icon in the tool box or by pressing S or E respectively.
2. Click and drag on the canvas to create the selection.

## Selection modifiers

Holding down certain keys while dragging modifies the selection behaviour.

Key | Behaviour
--- | ---
Shift | Restricts the selection to a square (or circle)
Ctrl | Adds the new selection to the existing selection
Alt | Subtracts the new selection from the existing selection

Note: The Ctrl and Alt modifiers cannot be used together.

## Selection types

The selection types in the options palette allow you to restrict the selection dimensions.

Type | Description
--- | ---
Normal | The selection is unrestricted.
Fixed Aspect Ratio | The aspect ratio (ratio of width to height) of the selection is restricted to the dimensions specified in the options palette.
Fixed Size | The selection size is fixed and is equal to the dimensions specified in the options palette.