Count objects in an image

  As of July 2024, Photoshop’s legacy 3D features have been removed. However, now in the Photoshop (beta) app you can seamlessly add 3D objects to your 2D Photoshop design using the Adobe Substance 3D Viewer (beta) app. Click here for more details.

You can use the Count tool to count objects in an image. To count objects manually, you click the image with the Count tool and Photoshop tracks the number of clicks. The count number is displayed on the item and in the Count tool options bar. Count numbers are saved when you save a file.

Photoshop can also automatically count multiple selected areas in an image, and record the results in the Measurement Log panel. See Performing a measurement.

Manually count items in an image

  1. Select the Count tool (located beneath the Eyedropper tool in the Tools panel).
  2. Choose Count tool options.

    Count Group

    A default count group is created when you add count numbers to the image. You can create multiple count groups, each with its own name, marker and label size, and color. When you add count numbers to the image, the currently selected count group is incremented. Click the eye icon to show or hide a count group. Click the folder icon to create a count group, the Delete icon to delete a count group. Choose Rename from the Count Group menu to rename a count group.

    Color

    To set the color for the count group, click the Color Picker.

    Marker Size

    Enter a value from 1 to 10, or use the scrubby slider to change the value.

    Label Size

    Enter a value from 8 to 72, or use the scrubby slider to change the value.

  3. Click in the image to add a count marker and label:
    • To move a count marker, move the pointer over the marker or number until the cursor changes to the direction arrows, then drag. (Shift-click to constrain the drag horizontally or vertically.)

    • Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) to remove a marker. The total count is updated.

    • Click Clear in the options bar to reset the count for the currently selected count group to 0.

    Note:

    Counts already recorded in the Measurement Log are not changed by clearing count numbers from the image.

  4. (Optional) To change count groups, select a different group from the Count Group menu, or click the folder icon to create a count group. Subsequent clicks update the currently selected count group.
  5. (Optional) To display or hide the count numbers:
    • Choose View > Show > Count.

    • Choose View > Extras, View > Show > All, or View > Show > None.

  6. (Optional) Choose Analysis > Record Measurements or click Record Measurements in the Measurement Log panel to record the count number to the Measurement Log.
    Note:

    To record a count to the Measurement Log, you must have Count selected as a measurement data point. Choose Analysis > Select Data Points > Custom and select the Count data point in the Count Tool area.

  7. (Optional) Choose File > Save to save any count numbers and count groups you’ve added to the image.

Automatic counting using a selection

Use the Photoshop automatic counting feature to count multiple selection areas in an image. Define selection areas using the Magic Wand tool or the Color Range command.

  1. Select the Magic Wand tool, or choose Select > Color Range.
  2. Create a selection that includes the objects in the image that you want to count. For best results, use an image with objects that contrast well against their background.
    • If you are using the Magic Wand tool, increase or decrease the Tolerance option to optimize the selection of the objects you want to count in the image. Deselect the Anti-alias and Contiguous options.

    • For Color Range, set Fuzziness and Selected Colors to fine-tune the selected areas in the image (see Select a color range).

  3. Choose Analysis > Select Data Points > Custom.
  4. In the Selections area, select the Count data point and click OK.
  5. Choose Window > Measurement Log.
  6. Choose Analysis > Record Measurements, or click Record Measurements in the Measurement Log. (If this option isn’t available, select a tool other than the Count tool.)

    Photoshop counts the selection areas and enters the number in the Count column in the Measurement Log.

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