How to Reselect the Last Selection in Photoshop

Accidentally deselecting an active marquee in Adobe Photoshop is a common occurrence, but the software includes dedicated commands to restore your boundaries instantly. This guide explains how to quickly reselect your previous selection marquee using standard keyboard shortcuts, the main menu bar, and the History panel, ensuring you never have to waste time manually redrawing complex selections.

Method 1: Use the Keyboard Shortcut

The fastest way to bring back your previous selection marquee is by using the default keyboard shortcut:

  • Windows: Press Ctrl + Shift + D
  • macOS: Press Cmd + Shift + D

As long as you have not created a new selection marquee after deselecting, this command immediately restores the exact marching ants boundary you previously had active.

Method 2: Use the Select Menu

If you prefer using the graphical interface rather than keyboard commands, you can restore your selection through the top menu:

  1. Click on Select in the top application menu bar.
  2. Choose Reselect from the dropdown list.

If the "Reselect" option appears grayed out, it means Photoshop has cleared its temporary selection memory, which happens if you close the document or create another selection.

Method 3: Use Undo or the History Panel

If you performed an action immediately after deselecting and the Reselect command is unavailable, you can backtrack using Photoshop's history functions:

  • Standard Undo: Press Ctrl + Z (Windows) or Cmd + Z (macOS) to undo the deselect action.
  • The History Panel: Open the History panel via Window > History. Scroll through your recent actions and click the state directly before the "Deselect" step occurred.

Proactive Tip: Save Complex Selections

The "Reselect" command only stores the single most recent selection. If you spend significant time refining a marquee that you may need again later, save it permanently:

  1. Go to Select > Save Selection.
  2. Name your selection and click OK.
  3. Retrieve it at any point in your workflow by navigating to Select > Load Selection.