Look, I’ve been writing about Photoshop since before most of you were worried about your Instagram feed. Fifteen years of monthly tips columns will teach you what matters and what’s just Adobe adding buttons for the sake of it. But lately? The updates have been genuinely interesting, and I’m here to separate the wheat from the chaff.

The Object Selection Tool is Criminally Underrated

Here’s the thing nobody talks about: the Object Selection tool is a total workhorse, and most of you are probably ignoring it in favor of the flashier AI-powered features. Don’t make that mistake.

This tool does exactly what it says—it selects objects. You point at something, Photoshop figures out what you’re trying to grab, and boom. Done. No fidgeting with tolerance settings or spending twenty minutes drawing around your subject like you’re in a coloring book.

The real magic? The refinement options. Once Photoshop makes its initial guess (and it’s usually a pretty good one), you’ve got tools to clean up the edges and dial in exactly what you need. It’s faster than you’d think, and it actually respects the actual boundaries of your object instead of just making a rough approximation.

Why This Matters for Your Workflow

I’ll be honest—selection work used to be the boring part of Photoshop. You’d spend 30% of your time selecting things and 70% actually doing something interesting. Now that ratio is flipping, and your project timelines will thank you for it.

The Object Selection tool plays especially nice when you’re working with complex backgrounds or multiple elements. Instead of jumping between different selection methods like you’re changing TV channels, you can stick with one tool that’s genuinely smart about understanding what you’re trying to isolate.

What’s Coming Next

Adobe’s been on a roll with these updates, and I’ve got plenty more tips where these came from. The newer Photoshop features actually feel like they were built by people who use Photoshop instead of just reading the request tickets.

The landscape is shifting faster than it used to. If you haven’t taken a serious look at what’s new in Photoshop 2026, you’re leaving efficiency on the table. That’s not hype—that’s just how it is.

Let me know what’s actually clicking for you in the comments. I’ve got a whole arsenal of additional tips if you want them.