Very stupid Photoshop CS6 question

[i remember halloween]

Disclaimer: I am a complete self-taught newb with virtually no experience.

I am using CS6 and must have accidentally changed some setting because for some reason when I delete/clear a selection from a layer, the edges of the remaining layer that bordered the selection have no blending, it's just a perfect rigged cut. Previously, CS6 would blend the edge so it wasn't such a stark contrast. I've been using refine edge with limited success to mitigate this. Does anyone know what setting I turned off or how to go back to the autoblend that photoshop was previously doing for me?

BTW, I just wanted to say, awesome site! I enjoyed the lighting, pen, and hair extraction tutorials and look forward to learning a lot from everyone here.

[i remember halloween]

Apologies, this is probably not in the right section. I should have put it into the general help section.

[Fubster]

I use CS5, not CS6, and I'm not sure if this is exactly what you are describing or not...but here it is anyway.

When I select an area, PS gives me an outline:
[attachment=22273:Help01.jpg]

If I use the delete key to clear that area on the layer, the selected area continues to be outlined:
[attachment=22274:Help02.jpg]

This outline will persist even if I select different tools or different layers. The only way to clear the outline is to clear the selection. I can do this two ways (probably more): 1) From the menu Select->Deselect. or 2) make sure the Marquee (select) tool is selected, and click anywhere without dragging.
[attachment=22275:Help03.jpg]

Does this help?

[i remember halloween]

I'll be back to my room within an hour or so and make a few pictures to demonstrate what I'm trying to explain if I can't make sense of it with this post.

I'm specifically talking about very sharp edges when clearing a selection. For example, if I extracted a person from a background and wanted to remove their arm, I would select his/her arm and press delete to clear it. Previously, the new edge that is created at the border of the selection that I've deleted and the remainder of the person's arm would auto-blur the edge with the background and didn't create such a highly contrasted edge. I do a lot of extraction for my covers and don't have great success with refine edge the other tool in the magic wand container (can't remember what it is called offhand, but its in the same box as the magic wand). For some reason, PS just stopped doing the auto blur and now requires me to either run the blur tool around the entire edge or use refine edge. Neither are producing results as good as I was previously getting and I don't know if I just accidentally deselected some option or what.

[i remember halloween]

Okay, here are some pictures to demonstrate what I was talking about.

Here is the original arm, extracted from a background and now sitting on top of a black layer:


Now, I select an area that I wish to delete/clear:


After I press delete and deselect, I'm left with a very jagged edge:


Previously, PS would have done this to the edge, something like an auto-blur: (I had to do this manually with the blur tool)

[Zungam]

Set feather to 1-2 and problem solved

[Jazzy]

Don't know how it's called in english.... change value to 2

[Fubster]

I see what you guys are saying, but I don't think that's it. Even with Feather = 0 Photoshop should determine some pixels are not 100% inside or outside the selection, leaving most pixels on the edge to be semi-transparent. What he has demonstrated is that, along the edge, Photoshop has either cut out the pixel or left it 100%. I'm trying to re-create his scenario in CS5 to see if there is a setting to cause that to happen.

[Fubster]

Got it. It's the Anti-Alias setting. I noticed it was NOT checked in your screen shots.

It is important to make sure it is checked BEFORE the selection is made (in CS5 anyway). If I already have a selection made, checking and un-checking make no difference. But if is it un-checked before making my selection, I get the result to the left. If it is selected, I get the result to the right (zoomed 300% to show detail):

[attachment=22279:Help04.jpg]

[attachment=22280:Help05.jpg]

[Nightrider]

Good eyeball there Fubs!