Add to selection Shortcut, not modifier

Question

I have a question about the "add to..." and "subtract from..." button options when using selection tools in Photoshop.

I understand a few things:

1. PS will make a new selection by default
2. Holding Shift or Alt/Opt will add to or remove from selection temporarily (as long as the modifier is held down)
3. One can click on the options in the tool panel to add to/remove from the selection to avoid holding the modifiers down.

My question:

Is there a keyboard shortcut that is the equivalent of clicking the add/remove options in the tool panel? In other words, instead of using the shortcut of press/hold shift/alt to modify your selection mode, is there a key press that activates those modes, without having to hold the modifier?

Answer 1

I think this may be a bit of an X/Y problem ... not necessarily about any tool functionality - or lack thereof - but more about the workflow.

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The biggest issue is that if you need the add/subtract to be sticky.... you are probably selecting things inefficiently. The add/subtract is meant to be a momentary thing for the selection tools. I do not believe there's any way to make the add/subtract "stick" without holding down the modifier keys.

Example of a more effective workflow:
If you need something more "sticky," an easy thing would be to toggle Quick Mask Mode by tapping the q key. You then have "sticky" add/subtract essentially... as well as the ability to use any number of tools to further refine a selection.

.. or use a layer mask...

... or use the Pen Tool...

.. or use Channels ...

.. etc....

Answer 2

Customize the keyboard shortcuts in Photoshop to create your shortcut for the "add to selection" and "subtract from selection" options. Here's how you can do it:

Go to "Edit" in the menu bar and choose "Keyboard Shortcuts" (or use the shortcut Ctrl+Alt+Shift+K on Windows or Command+Option+Shift+K on Mac). In the Keyboard Shortcuts dialog box, select the "Tools" option in the "Shortcuts For" dropdown menu. Expand the "Select & Mask" category. Look for the "Add To Selection" and "Subtract From Selection" options. Assign your preferred keyboard shortcuts to these options by clicking on the corresponding empty box and entering your desired key combination. By customizing the keyboard shortcuts, you can create your own shortcuts that directly activate the "add to selection" and "subtract from selection" modes with a single key press.