The 4 Best Ways To Cut Out And Remove Backgrounds In Photoshop
TLDRIn this Photoshop tutorial, Brandon from bewellcreative.com guides viewers through four effective tools for cutting out images and removing backgrounds. The tutorial covers the Quick Selection Tool, which allows for easy and fast selections, the Pen Tool for precise control over complex edges, the Color Range option for selecting specific color areas, and the use of Channels to handle complicated details like hair. Each method is demonstrated with practical examples, providing a comprehensive approach to mastering these essential Photoshop techniques.
Takeaways
- {"🖌️":"The Quick Selection Tool in Photoshop is great for quickly cutting out images with simple selection needs."}
- {"🖋️":"The Pen Tool allows for precise and custom selections, especially useful for complex edges or when a high level of accuracy is required."}
- {"🎨":"The Select Color Range option is perfect for backgrounds with a solid color, making it easy to select and remove the background based on color."}
- {"📏":"Channels can be used for intricate selections like hair, where there's high contrast between the subject and the background."}
- {"➡️":"To refine selections, one can use the Alt/Option key along with the Quick Selection Tool to adjust unwanted areas."}
- {"🔄":"Inverting a selection on a layer mask is a common technique to remove the background from an image."}
- {"📍":"Adding anchor points and adjusting control arms with the Pen Tool helps in creating smooth and precise curves for selections."}
- {"🔍":"Using the Color Range tool with the Eyedropper allows for sampling of specific colors to create selections."}
- {"🖇️":"Duplicating a channel and adjusting its levels can increase contrast, making it easier to select and cut out elements like hair."}
- {"🖊️":"The Brush Tool can be used to paint over gray areas in a channel to ensure they are fully selected before creating a layer mask."}
- {"🔄":"Combining different selection tools like the Quick Selection Tool and Channels can result in more accurate and clean cuts of complex subjects."}
Q & A
What are the four best tools to cut out images in Photoshop as discussed in the video?
-The four best tools to cut out images in Photoshop discussed in the video are the Quick Selection Tool, the Pen Tool, the Select Color Range option, and the Channels.
How does the Quick Selection Tool in Photoshop work?
-The Quick Selection Tool works similarly to the brush tool, but instead of painting color, it paints the selection. You can access it by clicking on the tool or pressing 'W' on the keyboard. It automatically snaps to edges based on color similarity and contrast in the photo.
How can you refine the edges of a selection made with the Quick Selection Tool?
-You can refine the edges by holding the Alt/Option key, which changes the icon to a minus, allowing you to paint over areas you want to remove. To add areas back in, ensure the plus icon is selected and paint over those areas.
What is the Pen Tool in Photoshop used for?
-The Pen Tool is used for making custom and refined selections around an edge, especially when precision is needed, such as cutting out a person or dealing with a busy background.
How does the Select Color Range option in Photoshop help in cutting out images?
-The Select Color Range option allows you to select a certain color and turn that into a selection based on that one color. It's particularly useful when you have a solid-colored background behind your subject.
What is the process of using the Channels to cut out complicated edges like hair in Photoshop?
-You find the channel with the most contrast between the subject and the background, duplicate that channel, adjust the levels to increase contrast, use a brush to paint over areas you want to select, and then turn the channel into a selection to apply a layer mask.
How can you fix issues with the Pen Tool when the background is also being selected?
-You can adjust the control arms individually by holding the Alt/Option key and clicking on the control arm you want to adjust. This allows you to refine the curve on one side without affecting the other.
What is the advantage of using the Channels for cutting out hair in Photoshop?
-The advantage of using the Channels is that it can handle complicated edges like hair, where other tools might struggle. It leverages the contrast between the subject and the background to create a clean selection.
How do you add a layer mask to an image in Photoshop after making a selection?
-After making a selection, you can add a layer mask by clicking on the layer mask icon at the bottom of the Layers panel. This applies the selection to the layer mask, allowing you to cut out the image non-destructively.
What blending mode can be used with the Brush Tool to refine edges without affecting the black areas?
-The Overlay blending mode can be used with the Brush Tool to refine edges without affecting the black areas, making it useful for fine-tuning selections.
How can you check for any transparent spots in the subject after cutting out an image in Photoshop?
-You can hold Alt/Option and click on the layer mask to view the selection. Any black areas within the subject indicate transparency, which you can then paint over with the Brush Tool to make them visible.
Outlines
🖌️ Introduction to Cutting Out Images in Photoshop
In the first paragraph, Brandon introduces the topic of the video, which is about learning the best tools for cutting out images in Photoshop. He welcomes viewers to his channel, bewildcreative.com, which focuses on photography and photo editing. Brandon emphasizes the popularity of removing backgrounds in Photoshop and mentions that there are several tools available for this task. He promises to share four of the best tools and to demonstrate how they can be combined for a refined selection and perfect cutout. The paragraph concludes with an introduction to the first tool, the Quick Selection Tool, which is a popular and straightforward option for making selections by painting over the desired area.
✒️ Using the Pen Tool for Precise Selections
The second paragraph delves into the Pen Tool, which is ideal for creating custom and refined selections around edges, particularly when precision is needed, such as cutting out a person or dealing with a complex background. Brandon explains how to access the Pen Tool and use it to create anchor points and paths that form the outline for the selection. He demonstrates how to adjust the control arms of the path for curves and refines the selection by adding and adjusting anchor points. The Pen Tool's advantage is highlighted for its ability to make clean selections even with complicated edges or when cutting out people.
🎨 Selecting by Color Range for Simple Backgrounds
In the third paragraph, Brandon discusses the Select Color Range option in Photoshop, which is useful for selecting a specific color and turning it into a selection. This tool is particularly helpful for images with solid-colored backgrounds, as it simplifies the process of selecting and removing the background. The paragraph explains how to access the Color Range tool, use the eyedropper to sample the background color, and adjust the selection preview and fuzziness for better accuracy. The process concludes with inverting the selection and applying it to a layer mask to cut out the desired subject.
📏 Utilizing Channels for Complex Edges
The fourth paragraph focuses on the Channels option for cutting out complicated edges, such as hair, where other tools may fall short. Brandon describes the process of using the Channels option to find the color channel with the most contrast between the subject and the background. He demonstrates how to duplicate the channel, adjust the levels to increase contrast, and use a brush tool to paint over areas that need to be fully selected. The paragraph also covers how to refine the selection by changing the brush blending mode and using other selection methods like the Quick Selection Tool to clean up edges. The summary concludes with how to finalize the cutout by inverting the layer mask and painting over any transparent spots to make them visible.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Quick Selection Tool
💡Layer Mask
💡Pen Tool
💡Select Color Range
💡Channels
💡Refining Edges
💡Inverting a Mask
💡Feathering
💡Anchor Points
💡Control Arms
💡Selection Preview
Highlights
Learn about the four best tools to cut out images in Photoshop.
Quick Selection Tool is a popular choice for quickly cutting out images.
Use the Quick Selection Tool to paint over the area you want to cut out.
Refine edges with the Alt/Option key for more precise selection.
Invert the layer mask to non-destructively cut out the image.
The Pen Tool is ideal for making custom and refined selections around edges.
Create anchor points and paths for detailed selection outlines.
Adjust control arms for curving lines in the Pen Tool.
Select Color Range is perfect for backgrounds of a single color.
Sample the background color and invert the selection to cut out the subject.
Channels are great for cutting out complicated edges like hair.
Duplicate and adjust the levels of a color channel to increase contrast.
Paint over gray areas with a brush to refine the selection.
Combine different selection methods for complex images.
Use the Quick Selection Tool to clean up edges after using Channels.
Invert the selection and paint with white to add details back into the image.
Hold Alt/Option and click on the layer mask to check for transparency.
Brandon from Bewellcreative.com provides step-by-step guidance on using these tools.
