Question:
Photoshop Help: "...selected area is empty"?
anonymous
2009-10-26 19:02:38 UTC
I'm trying to copy & paste but I keep getting a message that says "Could not complete copy command because the selected area is empty."

Help please! I'm not using my background, I added another layer.
Four answers:
Casey Jane ☼
2009-10-26 19:11:04 UTC
Exactly.. You are trying to select something that is on a new layer with no info on it... I suggest "deselecting all" and then using the lasso tool to cut out what you want to copy...



It would help more to know what you are trying to copy and paste.. One part of the image or the entire image??



EDIT: So just one part of the image.. use the lasso tool to capture that one part (on the copied layer of the background) and then go to Edit>Copy.. then you can open a new canvas or a new program and you will be able to paste just the selection you "lasso'ed".. Hope it works!
anonymous
2016-02-27 07:36:37 UTC
Well, one way would be to reduce the image resolution drastically (on a COPY of the image file!) so that the palm or sole is reduced to a single pixel (or a 3x3 array). In resampling the image Photoshop will come up with an 'average' value from all the previous pixels, which you can then measure with the eyedropper. Actually you'd probably want the final pixel to be just slightly smaller than the sole/palm, to avoid picking up any color or brightness values, in the 'average', from the surrounding background. There's also a 'pixellate' filter that will do roughly the same thing (but creating bigger squares instead of reducing the image file size). In either case you'll have to experiment a bit (with liberal use of the "undo" command) to find settings for image size or pixel size that work best for the image you're starting with.
anonymous
2009-10-26 19:50:52 UTC
I posted a very detailed answer for you on Editing Geeks.



http://www.editinggeeks.com/questions/51/how-come-i-keep-getting-the-error-selected-area-is-empty



For great answers, ask question on Editing Geeks.
Rebel Alliance
2009-10-26 19:10:51 UTC
your new layer is empty because you haven't added any effects of text in it and so, its empty and you can't copy and paste

you have to use the original layer or the layer where you painted,drew on,put text on. etc.


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
Loading...