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Using Pixelmator, quite often I need to draw a shape and then select everything around that shape to apply a filter or change hue/contrast. Is there an easy way to select everything around a shape, specially when the shape is not a rectangle.

For example, in this blog post, I created a red rectangle with round edges:

https://watuhq.wordpress.com/2012/08/17/exporting-applicants-from-a-job-and-improved-staffer-engagement/

and you can see everything around it is grayish. I got away with it because the rectangle is on top of white, so you can't see the edge, but when the rectangle is on top of something with a color, I need to have the selection perfectly around the rectangle, otherwise it looks broken.

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  1. Click on the shape in the layer list to select it.

  2. Right click on the shape in the layer list.

  3. Click on "Group". enter image description here

  4. Select Edit -> Load Selection

This will select around the shape itself. If the shape is just a stroke, you might need to use the magic wand or something similar to select/unselect the contents.

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  • My problem is not inverting the selection, my problem is selecting around a rounded rectangle that was just drawn. – pupeno Aug 17 '12 at 15:40
  • Select the rounded rectangle shape in the layers pallet. Right click on it and select "Group". Select Edit > Load Selection in the menubar. This will select around the shape itself. – Bryan Luby Aug 17 '12 at 16:10

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