About the Rectangle Select Tool
The rectangle select tool, called the rectangular marquee in photo editors, selects a box-shaped part of a picture. Drag from one corner to the opposite corner and the selection appears with a dashed outline. Then choose what to do with it: keep the selection and make everything outside transparent, or remove the selection and leave a transparent hole. A soft edge setting fades the cut, and you can crop the result to the selection. On a computer, hold Shift while you drag to select a perfect square. The picture is saved as a PNG with real transparency, and it is edited in your browser, so it is never uploaded.
Updated October 2026
How to use the Rectangle Select Tool
- 1Select an image or drop one on the page.
- 2Press at one corner of the area you want and drag to the opposite corner. Hold Shift for a square.
- 3Choose Keep the selection or Remove the selection.
- 4Set a soft edge if you want the cut to fade, and decide whether to crop the result to the selection.
- 5Press Cut out the selection, check the picture and press Download PNG.
How to select a rectangle
Press the pointer on one corner, drag to the opposite corner and release. The dashed box shows what will be affected, and below the picture the tool tells you how many pixels are selected and the size of the box. If the box is wrong, drag again.
Keep or remove
Keep the selection makes everything outside the box transparent. With Crop the result to the selection ticked, the picture shrinks to the box, which gives you a transparent-ready crop. Remove the selection does the opposite, making the box transparent, which is useful for a window, a redaction or a placeholder.
Where it helps
- Cutting a screenshot panel out of a larger picture.
- Making a hole in an image where text or another picture will go.
- Blanking out an area, such as a licence plate or a name, to a transparent patch.
- Making a rectangular sticker or logo with a soft edge.
- Cropping to an exact box and saving it as a transparent PNG.
Soft edge
A soft edge blends the selection into the transparent area over a few pixels. A value of 0 gives a crisp cut. A few pixels hide the staircase look on a photo, and larger values make a vignette effect. The slider range grows with the size of the picture.
Phone and computer
On a phone, touch and drag on the picture. The page does not scroll while you drag on it. On a computer, use the mouse and hold Shift for a square. A box is the simplest selection, and other shapes cover other cases. Use the Ellipse Select Tool for round areas, the Lasso Tool for free-hand ones, and Crop Image to keep only what you picked.
Features
- Select a rectangle or, with Shift, a square
- Keep the selection or remove it
- Soft edge from 0 pixels upwards
- Crop the result to the selection
- Transparent PNG at full resolution
- Works in your browser, nothing is uploaded
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between this and crop?
A crop keeps a rectangle and throws the rest away, with the same background. Rectangle select also lets you remove the box and leave a transparent hole, or keep the box and make the rest transparent at the full size of the picture.
How do I select a perfect square?
On a computer, hold Shift while you drag. The box then keeps equal width and height.
Can I move or resize the box after drawing it?
Not yet. Draw it again, or press Clear selection and start over. A new drag replaces the old selection.
Does the picture keep its quality?
Yes. The result is a PNG at the original pixel size of the area you keep, so nothing is shrunk.
Can I select outside the picture?
You can start or end the drag outside the picture and the box is trimmed to the edge.
What does Remove the selection do?
It makes the pixels inside the box transparent, so you see a hole. With a soft edge the hole fades gradually.
Is my photo uploaded?
No. It is edited on your device.
Which formats can I open?
JPG, PNG, WebP and other formats your browser can display. The download is always PNG.