Photomontage in Photoshop is its integral part. In other words, he cut off the carpet, stuck the mountains, said that it was so. A familiar situation, isn't it?

But not everything is as simple as it seems, and in order to cut out an object from a photo, you need that skill! Most recently, I already wrote about how you can. Yes, good method, do not say anything. But it's only good for plain background! And what to do when the background is like a needle in the ass ... sorry for the french ๐Ÿ˜‰

Let's get down to business, or rather, to the second method of cropping objects in Photoshop. Today we will use layer mask, which will help us cut everything very beautifully!

Let's open the image, I chose not very complex, but for an example it will do fine.

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Moving on, so how do you turn on the layer mask? It's simple, see:


What exactly is the matter? Yes, in that if you draw with black on the mask, then the image will be erased like an eraser, and with white - everything will be restored! Here's an example:

See an advantage over a regular eraser? Not? Okay, it's simple!

  • Firstly, we do not spoil the image itself, it is always safe! After all, you are painting on a mask.
  • Secondly, having done a great job, you may notice that you accidentally erased important object! In this case, you can roll back all the actions using the history, but then a lot will have to be repeated again. And in our case, it is enough to take the white color and restore everything. Its cool! Is not it?

Cut out the object

As always, theory comes after practice, so take a larger brush and erase the background as close to the main object as possible.

Attention, here is a trick ! It is not necessary to drive with a brush with a tremor in your hands, so as not to touch something there. Hold down the button Shift after which it is enough to put dots from one place to another and the gaps will themselves be filled with a straight line, in our case, rub evenly and beautifully! With the help of a clamped Shift you can cut out an object beautifully in photoshop ๐Ÿ˜‰

Well, in a couple of mouse clicks, you can almost perfectly cut the object without jambs. Continue in the same spirit to the end, and I'm already done. The whole thing took no more than five minutes! Miracles are simple - you say, no, just a sleight of hand ๐Ÿ˜‰

To cut, separate or extract something in any graphical editor - all these are, in fact, synonyms for one procedure, which ends with the isolation of the selected object. Therefore, tasks such as cutting out an object in Photoshop or separating an object from the background are practically reduced to selection. Isolating the selected area will not be difficult, except for copying the selection to a new layer (Ctrl + J) or dragging the cut fragment to another document. In the latter case, it is important not to forget to click on the "Move" tool button at the very top of the toolbar.

The selection is performed either manually, when the path is outlined with a pen, brush, or "throw a lasso", or automatically, using the "Magic Wand" or "Magic Eraser". In addition, color channels, masks, some filters, and even special plugins are used for highlighting.

Selection of simple objects

The choice of tool depends on the complexity of the contour of the selected object. For example, the problem with how to cut out a face in Photoshop (if it is not very "rumpled") can be solved by using a regular or rectilinear (Polygonal) "Lasso", or "Quick Mask", or "Feather" ( very labor intensive).

If everything is clear with the lasso, then when using the quick mask (Quick selection tool), the call button of which is located at the very bottom of the toolbar, there are some nuances.

Quick mask

Firstly, you can completely paint over the face with a black brush, or, having chosen the size, carefully trace the outline, then fill it with black from a bucket (the "Fill" tool). Errors are corrected with a white brush.

Having applied the mask, click on the quick mask button again - and the selection is ready. But not the face is marked, but everything that is outside the mask, so the selection must be inverted (Select> Invert) and transferred to a new layer (Ctrl + J) or dragged to another document. You can do without inversion by simply deleting the selected background, and then using the tool "Frame" (Crop Tool) crop the image to the desired size.

Quick Selection

We cut out the face, but if someone is interested in how to cut out a whole person in Photoshop (and this is also a simple task), you should know that in this case, the Magic Wand's partner, the Quick Selection tool, is the best option for selection. (Quick Selection).

This tool has its own customizable brush that analyzes the color you click under it and automatically picks out adjacent colors as you move along the path. The more contrast the border between the human figure and the background, the better the result.

Lasso with magnet

The "Magnetic Lasso" (Magnetic Lasso), which recognizes the line of maximum difference in contrast, brightness or color, and literally sticks to it, will cope well with the human figure, so to cope with such a simple task as cutting out an object in Photoshop, similar to lasso is simple, especially if the border between the subject and the background is sufficiently contrasting.

Selection of complex objects

The tools discussed above can also be used for objects with complex contours, but for such cases it is more common to use the Pen tool, color channels, or, even better, the Extract command from the Filter menu (Filter). If someone does not have such a filter, you can easily download it on the net, then placing the file in the Plugins folder of the program installation package.

How to crop an image in Photoshop? For this, the Freeform Pen tool is often used, which is used to outline the outline, like a pencil, but for complex objects it is better to use a simple one.

Having created (and necessarily closed) the outline of the object, right-click on it and select the "Generate Selection" command, after which you will be prompted to specify the feather radius and smoothing function, and if you open the Paths panel (Window > Paths), you can select "Load outline as selection" without any conditions by clicking on the icon with a dotted circle.

Special highlight

Some users, including high-flying professionals, when solving questions about how to cut something in Photoshop, regardless of the complexity of the object being extracted, remain faithful to the Pen Tool.

Having created a closed contour of the object from sequentially placed anchor points, right-click on it and select the "Generate selected area" command, then, having set (if necessary) the feathering radius, press OK.

The most important advantage of the "Pen" is its high precision, since this tool manages to select a part of a pixel, sparing the subsequent selection from jagged edges. "Pen" simply makes the part of the pixel outside of the selection transparent.

With this tool, of course, you can select everything, if you have enough patience and skill, especially since for accurate contouring you can enlarge the image to the maximum. But if you are concerned about how to cut hair in Photoshop, better tool than the Extract filter cannot be found, although many may argue with this statement.

Extraction of selections

Go to the "Filter" menu and click on the Extract line. In the luxurious filter dialog box, select the main Edge Highlighter tool (like a felt-tip pen) at the top left and draw around the object so that the border we are interested in is inside the โ€œfelt-penโ€ line, the thickness of which (Brush Size) and color (Highlight) are set on the toolbar on the right. If you make a mistake, the Eraser Tool will help, as well as the undo command (Ctrl + Z). If you check the Smart Highlighting checkbox, the program will more accurately determine the border, and the line will be thinner. But if you are wondering how to cut a person in Photoshop, this is not necessary.

Having completed the stroke, select the "Bucket" (Fill Tool) in the upper left. By clicking inside the outline, fill it with paint, thereby indicating to the program what exactly needs to be left, deleting the rest. Only after that the OK button will "come to life", and it will be possible to confirm the completion of the procedure, and then make sure that the result is perfect.

Surely there are particularly inquisitive users who may think about how to cut out a complex object in Photoshop without resorting to standard tools, and one of these extraordinary ways is related to color channels.

Cut out with color channels

The essence of the method is to determine the most contrasting channel for the selected object (the "Channels" tab on the layers panel) and then process the image in order to reveal the smallest details of the contour.

Having determined the appropriate channel (often it is blue), the desired layer is duplicated, and then on the copy (depending on the characteristics of a particular image) one of the brightness-correcting functions ("Curves", "Levels", "Brightness / contrast") is used to obtain the maximum the contrasting border of the selected object, darkening it to the utmost (up to black) against a strongly lightened background. You can use the darken/lighten tools, as well as black and white brushes for details.

Having achieved the desired result, click on the channel duplicate layer on the image thumbnail with the Ctrl key, switch to RGB mode, return to the "Layers" tab to the finished selection and delete the background (Delete). You can put a dark background under the cut object and work on the outline by going to "Layers" and selecting the "Processing Layers" command, where to remove the border and remove halos (black or white).

Cut out, refining the edge

Many users are not in vain interested in how to cut in Photoshop CS6, because, starting from version CS5, the editor has settled down with the amazing Refine Edge feature, which is available in the Select menu when an object is actively selected. In addition, you will see such a button on the far right in the options panel if you turn on any of the selection tools.

This function is able to bring to mind any selection. The "qualifier" settings are simple and clear.

Having chosen the type (View) of the border between the background and the object to your taste, we proceed to the settings for its detection. If you select "Smart Radius" (Smart Radius), the program itself will figure out the nature of the selection and correct it for its own reasons. In difficult cases, it is better to rely on the intelligence of "Smart Radius", which is enough to easily solve the question of how to cut out an image in Photoshop.

The "Radius" setting slider determines the size of the refinement zone width (in pixels), which depends on the image resolution and contour detail.

In the Adjust Edge group, the names of the functions ("Smooth" / Smooth, "Feather" / Feather, "Contrast" / Contrast and "Shift Edge" / Shift Edge) speak for themselves.

Refine the edge tools ("Refine radius/Refine radius tool and eraser "Erase refinement"/Erase Refinements Tool) open the button with the brush icon.

We draw a brush pointed in the right way over the problem area (not detailed enough), and the program will obediently deal with it, and if it overdoes it, the eraser will intervene.

In the drop-down list "Output to" (Output To) we are offered to choose a convenient type of presentation of the result, but we are interested in the "Select" option, because you can cut an object in Photoshop only by first selecting it.

Clicked OK, removed the background (cut out the object), put it on a new base, and the object is "decorated" with an unsightly fringe of an incomprehensible color? Select it again (Ctrl + click on the image thumbnail), call the Refine Edge window and select "Clear colors" (Decontaminate Color). In response, Photoshop will remove (at least try) the colored fringe, repainting as many pixels as you specify with the Amount slider.

Many users who just need to crop an image use a rectangular selection or a clipping mask, but this is not the most rational solution, since you can cut out a photo in Photoshop using the Crop Tool, for which it, in fact, and invented.

Cut to frame

With the cropping tool "Frame" (Crop tool) on, drag the frame of the desired size on the image with the mouse and click on the checkmark in the settings panel at the top right (with the prompt "Crop") or press Enter. The frame will stretch from the point where you click the cursor cross. Then it can be stretched / compressed by holding the corners or sides with the mouse, but it will not work to move or tilt, but you can move and rotate the image itself.

Pictures for the site

Obsessed with the desire to quickly create their own website, sometimes the user is unable to resist the stunning psd layout that comes across, downloads it, eagerly opens it, and suddenly freezes in bewilderment, discovering that he does not know how to cut out design elements in Photoshop.

Let's say we need to cut out a rectangular object (logo, header, picture, etc.). If the element consists of two or more layers, select them simultaneously in the palette (with the Ctrl key pressed), merge them (Ctrl + E), and then, turning on the Rectangular Marquee tool, carefully create an exact selection around the object.

Now go to the "Edit" menu and select either "Copy" (if there is one layer) or "Copy Combined Data" (if there are several layers). Next, create a new document (File > New), go to "Editing" and click on the "Insert" line. It remains to select "Save for Web" and continue in the same spirit.

To create, for example, an interesting multilayer collage in Photoshop, it is most often required to separate the selected object from the background for its subsequent movement. Let's see how through Adobe Photoshop CS5 with a photo cut out of a person, in particular the silhouette of a child.

Launch photoshop. In the main menu of the program, select the tab "File" โ†’ "Open ...". Next, open the folder with the photo on your computer and drag it to the working window. To separate the silhouette from the background, it must be selected. First, use the Quick Mask and Brush tools. Next, find a quick mask on the toolbar (rectangle with an eye) or immediately press the โ€œQโ€ key. Then activate the "Brush" and set the appropriate size in the options bar. Gradually start painting over the object with the brush in mask mode. Click to enlarge the brush curly brace), to reduce - (. If necessary, zoom in on the image using the Navigator palette and the corresponding slider. Finish coloring. If it seems to you that you accidentally drove over the edges, then activate the Eraser and work with it like a brush. Then turn off the tool " Quick mask." Pay attention to the baby shown in the photo - the outline has become dotted, in other words, it has stood out. Next, go back to the toolbar and activate one of the selection tools. Now move the mouse over the photo and right-click on it. In the opened In the window, select the command "Cut to a new layer". Look at the "Layers Palette". The silhouette of the child has moved to a new layer. For clarity, uncheck the first layer - it will turn off.


The amazing Photoshop program gives the user endless possibilities for working with photos and images. Virtually all graphic display on the web, books and other sources has been done with this wonderful software. But, as everyone knows, these graphic elements are prepared by special people who are proficient in Photoshop. Very often people ask these very people for help in elementary things that even an ordinary user can do.

Using graphic editor tools

At first sight software Adobe may seem somewhat daunting to a beginner: great amount tools, various panels, tabs and other interface elements. But over time, you will be able to understand the principle of their display and, therefore, be able to predict where this or that tool could be located. Since nothing will come to you just like that without experience, you can start performing simple actions with the help of tutorials (instructions) from our website. And today we will learn how to cut an object in Photoshop. But first, we need to learn how to insert a photo or drawing into the program itself. If you already know how to do this, you can skip this paragraph.

Considering Photoshop CS6 as an example

How to open an image in Photoshop

To begin with, we will certainly need the Adobe Photoshop program itself. If your computer does not have this software, then you can purchase it on the official Adobe website. Like any quality product, Photoshop is provided to users on a paid basis. But Adobe also gives you the opportunity to try out your product for free for 30 days from the date of installation. That is, you can try out Photoshop for a bit before you buy it.

If you have installed our magic program on your computer and you can open it, then we will try to open any image file there. Let's start:

  1. Open Adobe Photoshop from the shortcut on the desktop;
  2. On the very top panel select the "File" tab, then click "Open";
  3. In the window that appears, as in the menu Windows Explorer, look for the required file and double-click on it with the left mouse button.

Click the "Open" button or double click mice

If you follow these steps correctly, you will see that the image has opened in our program. In addition to this method, there is an alternative:

  1. We are looking for the file to open and right-click on it. In the menu that appears, select "Open with ...".
  2. Now in the list of applications, find Adobe Photoshop. If it is not there, then click the "Browse" button in the right corner and in the folder with installed program select Photoshop file(.exe format). As a rule, after correct installation, such manipulations are not necessary.
  3. Now click the left mouse button once on the Photoshop icon in the list of programs and click OK. But first, check if there is a checkmark next to the item in the lower left corner "Use for all files of this type." It should not be there, otherwise all your images will open in Photoshop in the future.

Cut out objects in Photoshop

  1. Open the required file with a photo or picture in the program.
  2. Select Selection from the toolbar. There are several types of them, so let's take a look at them all.
  3. Dashed rectangle icon. By right-clicking on it, you will see a selection of a rectangular shape, an oval area, a horizontal and vertical line.
  4. Below is the Lasso icon. Here are the lasso (you yourself select the exact area with the mouse): rectangular lasso (selection using broken lines), magnetic lasso (similar to a regular lasso, only it is attached to points on the image like a magnet).
  5. The next tool, just below the lasso, is a quick selection and a magic wand. There is no need to explain how they work, you should just try them in action.
  6. Now, using one of the listed tools, select the area you want to cut.
  7. Then click on the top tool of the left panel "Move" (arrow with the icon) and move the cut object to the desired location.
  8. If you want to completely delete the object, then press the delete key and then OK. Now there is a blank spot in our area that you can fill with anything.

The choice of tool depends on the intended purpose.

In the same way, you can cut absolutely any object (for example, cut hair in Photoshop). The main thing is to carefully select the required area with tools.

Processing a cut object

In our case, we insert the logo on the photo with the car

But what if you need to cut out an object and make it a separate drawing? Then you need to do the following:

  1. Open in an additional tab another image on which you want to overlay the cut object.
  2. We turn to our first drawing and select the area, as in the previous instruction. Now with the โ€œMoveโ€ tool we transfer this part of the picture by holding the left mouse button to another tab and after moving to the next image, release the mouse button.
  3. Now you have a combination of two images. If you feel that the photo is too crooked or ugly, then you can smooth the image along the contour. You can do this using the Eraser tool on the left panel. Gently erase the corners and edges to get high quality. By right-clicking on the image with the Eraser tool, you can adjust its size and hardness (erasing strength). The lower it is, the lower the radius of its erasure, around which the blur effect will be. Make sure that the edges of the cut object are of normal quality (you need to smooth enough all parts of the figure).
  4. After processing the file, save it finished image: "File", then "Save As..." and OK.

Small results

Today we have replenished our knowledge base by learning how to cut out absolutely any objects and shapes from a photograph. We also learned how to process the cut out area so that its edges and corners do not look ugly. Now you can easily see which hairstyle could suit you. Make funny cuts from photos and pictures and share with us in the comments. Let's all have fun together! Successful and fruitful work, friends.

  • You need to start with the outer contour until you close it. After that, go to the internal
  • You need to build the path by cutting your object inward by 1-2 px. If it is less, then as a result, the background will show through from time to time.
  • And of course, strictly observe the shape of the object.
  • Netoropizzo)))

Let's start with the shoes on the right foot. In the figure, I showed the drawing of the contour. But my hand trembled, or simply did not notice, and I put one point incorrectly.

This is where we begin to notice the benefits of the good old Pen (Pen). To fix (move) this point, I just need to select the "Arrow" tool and drag the point to the right place with the mouse.

But that's not all. We may have to add another point somewhere in the contour later. To do this, right-click on the "Pen" tool and select the "Pen+(add anchor point)" tool. You may also need to make the break at the reference point smooth. To do this, take the "Angle" tool from there.

When we have already drawn the outline to the edge of the document frame, in order to move the picture, just press the spacebar, the cursor will turn into a hand, and without releasing the spacebar, holding down the left mouse button, move the picture to the right place.

If suddenly they clicked in the wrong place, and the contour disappeared, or all the points from the contour disappeared, and it itself became just a line, there is nothing wrong with that, you donโ€™t have to look for anything and click on everything in a row. All you have to do is open the history panel and select one of the previous steps.

Having finished with the main contour, we move on to the inner ones, there will be three of them on this figure.

Having closed all three contours, we make sure that there is no selected one among them, that is, all contours should be in the form of lines, without squares on them. If this is not the case, then take the "Arrow" tool and click on free space drawing.

And now we have two options for further processing of this contour, this is the creation of a new layer with the cut image and the creation vector mask from the contour. Second option better themes That the path can be edited also provides a lot of other fun with the use of a mask. For example, you can perform various actions to correct the contour after rasterizing the vector mask into a layer mask, you can work with the silhouette of a girl, you can add image sections to the cut out figure. These and other gadgets are discussed in the article.

In the meantime, back to the first, more easy way. which is still used more often than dancing with masks and tambourines.

We continue to work on the first option. We right-click on any place of the contour, in the menu that opens, select "Create a selection", in the new window that appears, select the feather radius of zero pixels, OK.

The path will turn into a selection.

To transfer it to a new layer, press the keys Ctrl + J. Open the layers panel, turn off the visibility of the background layer, look what happened.

In order to see all the defects of the clipping, and they will be necessary, we create two layers under the layer with the cut out girl, one black and the other poisonous yellow-green.

I have captured the background layer on the arm and on the heels of the shoes.

With an eraser with soft edges, we remove these defects.

Do not forget that with an extra movement, some kind of wrong action, you can always return one or more actions up using the layers palette.

If the diameter of the eraser is too large, and along with the defect it also affects a good area, then it is not necessary to reduce the diameter of the eraser to a minimum.

It is enough to select a piece with a defect using the Lasso tool, and then apply the eraser. It will erase only in the selection area. Then do not forget to remove the selection by pressing Ctrl + D.