A method is proposed to measure the radiation damping rate constant based on the analysis of the nonexponential recovery of the magnetization after inversion. It is applicable when the recovery is dominated by radiation damping rather than by relaxation processes. The accurate measurement of the radiation damping rate constant can be used to simplify a recent method for the compensation of radiation damping effects during the application of selective pulses [Chen, Jerschow, and Bodenhausen, Chem. Phys. Lett. 308, 397 (1999)]. This procedure can now be automated, as illustrated by applications to selective inversion and excitation. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-9606(00)01715-3].