In this tutorial we’re going to be working with the Cutout Lab in Photopaint. At some point when working with images you’ll realize that you want to isolate an image from the background. As a result, you’ll have to create what is called a mask and this allows you to use the object in a variety of compositions.

We’re going to start cutting this image out from the background in a moment, but before we do, I want to draw your attention to the Objects docker on the right. You’ll notice the background image, there’s an Object that I’ve filled with green and a copy of the background that we’re going to use as our working Object, or layer, when we’re creating the mask.

The purpose of the green layer is for when we finish the masking process and we’ve exited the Cutout Lab. What I do at this point is I zoom into the image and look at the edges of the mask, which I check against this high contrast background, to make sure that there are no artifacts, or holes in the image. Once that’s done I’ve completed the masking process.

Before I access the Cutout Lab, I need to make sure that the top Object is active, then I can start masking. One last thing to consider, when you’re masking objects, I recommend using a drawing tablet like the Wacom for precise direction and control. Unfortunately, the mouse is very clumsy to use and is like gripping a club.

To get started, go to the menu and choose Image: Cutout Lab. In the Cutout Lab dialog box, the first thing to do is to zoom into the image to see the edge in more detail. To do so, use the Zoom tool to move in closer on the cactus.

The next thing to do is to make use of the highlight tool and using it to define an edge around the cactus. The default tip is a bit too small, so I’ll dial it up a bit, to 19. So now I highlight the edge, which lays some color over the cactus and the background. And this is needed in order to create a mask. When working around the spines, there’s are a bit unwieldy with a tool tip of this size, so I’ll dial down the size of the nib. If you make a mistake in the the image, simply click on the Eraser tool and remove what you’ve done.

As you work your way around the image, use the hand tool or scroll bars, zooming in as necessary. When the edge defining is complete, I’m ready to fill the object. The first step is to zoom out so I can see the entire image, then click on the Paint bucket. Next I click on the middle of the image to fill it, in preparation for the image preview.

To preview the image, I make sure the background is set to None which will create a checked pattern in the background. When I click on preview I can start cleaning up the edge, but it’s a bit difficult to see, so I start experimenting with other options, such as black or gray matte.

Using gray matte, I can see some artifacts around the edge and that parts of the mask have holes, which need to be fixed. To fix this, I use the touch up tools to add detail or remove it. And of course, I need to check the entire image. If the image looks ragged on the edges, I click on the Add Detail tool to fil in the gaps. It’s much easier to do this now, than after the fact.

This completes the cleaning up of the image and it’s ready to be cut out. There are three options: Cutout, Cutout and Original Image or Cutout as click mask.Here, I chose Cutout and Original image, which gives me a new Object in the docker, the image which has been cut out and the original below that.

This is where my acid test comes into play. We turn off the object below the new cutout and now we see straight through to my green high contrast object. We can look at it in more detail and see if it needs further retouching. To do so, zoom in to the edge and see what’s happening. In this case the edge is still a bit ragged, which we can improve by using the eraser tool. And we slowly work our way around the image, erasing those bits as necessary.

Here, the edge is fairly sharp. If you want to soften it a bit, we would use feathering, but that’s the subject of another video.

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categories: image editing programs,photopaint image masking,image masking,image manipulation,special effects,image editing,computer graphics,photography

The Photoshop Elements program is a basic photo editor offered by Adobe. Versions are available for both Windows and Mac. The program is a simplified version of the more professional Photoshop, and aims to make advanced effects simple and intuitive.

Elements was released 2001 and has been updated annually with the exception of 2003. After two unsuccessful attempts at designing a user friendly photo editing program, the goal of Elements became to keep the learning curve low while incorporating powerful features of an advanced program.

At it’s core, users have the ability to edit and organize photos within the program for publishing and web distribution. The standards of home photo editing programs are there, including red eye reduction, skin tone improvement, and color and contrast correction. Additional special effects allow users to transform photos into drawings, black-and-white or sepia. The layers function has given users remarkable control to sequentially edit photos or create drawings from scratch.

The basics of Elements include red eye reduction, skin tone improvement, layer manipulation and correction of color, contrast and lens distortion. Special effects are also there to convert photos to drawings, black-and-white, sepia and more.

A feature missing in this program, is the ability to export files in CMYK color mode. This file type used for commercial printing has a truer printing result than the alternative RGB. Elements outputs an RGB file that is the standard used by home printers and some versions can create PDFs.

While some fine tuning options might not be available through Photoshop Elements, the program still produces professional results through intuitive means. Combined with a smaller learning curve and reasonable price point under $100, Elements is an effective and reasonable option for most photo editing enthusiasts.

Brian Griffin is a twenty year business professional who writes extensively on business topics including small business and online business. Check out his Photoshop Element Reviews and Adobe Coupons

All Adobe products are professional and top-tier. These products are used to design and edit creations ranging from websites to art illustrations.

The programs are very detail-oriented and most of the time will require some tutorials for you to comprehend how they function. Even so, it can take years to thoroughly understand the products that Adobe makes. You can easily find tutorials online. For example, tutorial videos are commonly on YouTube. Patience is key. And with a little time, you’ll gain the necessary skills to become an expert at using the Adobe products.

You can buy Adobe products online at the Adobe website. Products cost about six hundred dollars to over one thousand dollars. Upgrades cost about half of that respectively. Although expensive, Adobe makes the best software available.

There are about one hundred products made by Adobe. A few include Fireworks, Art Illustrator and Photoshop. These products sometimes come in several editions with the most recent one usually being updated for the better.

Adobe Reader is one Adobe’s free products. Reader is a program that Adobe created to open files that are in PDF (portable document format) format, a file format created by Adobe to make exchanging documents easy. Reader has become so universally used that is now a desktop necessity. Anyone can install the Adobe Reader program online at the Adobe website at no cost.

Also offered free by Adobe is Flash Player. This software allows you to experience multi-media applications online, such as games or videos. You can install it at the official Adobe website.

Adobe software is great for anyone. Whether you’re a newspaper layout editor, learning student, website designer, yearbook club advisor or graphic artist, using Adobe software should produce the best results. If you want specific information about a certain product, visit Adobe’s website.

Next, check out the Review of Photoshop Elements Reviews and Adobe Promotion Codes from real business people who have tried out these services in real business situations and share the good and bad.