Help with white fringe on channel mixer layer

[sircoisoc]

Hi! I'm having a lot of trouble getting rid of a white border / fringe after trying to change a black leotard into pastel colors.

Here's what I did:

1. Selection > group > mask
2. Channel mixer layer* > monochrome
3. Curves layer (play with curves until I reach the white I want)
4. Hue layer (play with my pastel color)

* If i turn all the layers off, the white fringe only appears on the channel mixer layer. Since I need that layer to achieve the white in order to get the pastel color from the original black, I take the white fringe with me no matter what I do.

Things I've tried:

- Contract / expand selection on mask (doesn't remove the fringe)
- Playing with the feather on the mask layer (doesn't seem to work, gives me black feathering inside the selection and white outside, but doesn't really remove the white fringe)
- "Optical illusion" with manual brush and playing with greyscale/opacity and feather to hide it from the eye as much as possible (the brush seems to go over the fringe(?)
- Cloning the background on top of the white fringe (somehow it doesn't seem to work, it goes over the fringe without touching it)
- Masking with original picture and brushing out the fringe (doesn't seem to work either or I'm doing it wrong)

I've been battling with this FOR DAYS! I've looked up tutorials on youtube and nothing seems to work. I don't know what I'm doing wrong, and it's driving me insane not being able to defeat this white fringe!!

Thank you so much!

 

[IamSam]

Hello and welcome.

Without seeing your layers panel, I would suspect that the problem is in a selection and layer mask.

 

[sircoisoc]

 

[sircoisoc]

I've tried correcting the selection but it doesn't seem to work because it leaves a black fringe (from de original color) it doesn't fall exactly into place (if that makes sense)

 

[IamSam]

(if that makes sense)

No.

Please post your PSD file. You may have to use a host site. We need to be able to examine the file to find the issue.

 

[sircoisoc]

No.

Please post your PSD file. You may have to use a host site. We need to be able to examine the file to find the issue.

Here's the file: https://we.tl/t-wnDwhajIYt

 

[IamSam]

Yes, definitely the layer mask.

This is your mask.....


This is my mask...


See how yours is outside mine? You have some feathering going on. Just redo your selection and mask.


Color changed with Levels and Hue & Sat Adjustment layers.

 

[sircoisoc]

Yes, definitely the layer mask.

This is your mask.....
View attachment 113436

This is my mask...
View attachment 113437

See how yours is outside mine? You have some feathering going on. Just redo your selection and mask.
View attachment 113438

Color changed with Levels and Hue & Sat Adjustment layers.
View attachment 113439
View attachment 113440
View attachment 113441

I've tried doing again the mask but I seem to be doing the same mistake as I get the same result. I'm masking with object select and magnetic lasso. Did you use a different technique for the masking?

 

[IamSam]

Did you use a different technique for the masking?

I used the Pen Tool.

The Magnetic Lasso Tool is a very substandard way to make an accurate selection.
The tool should only ever be used on objects with WELL defined edges and then it will only give you about an 80 - 90 percent accuracy.
Chances are, you have an amount set in the feather window that's causing your white "fringe".


Use any other tool (like the Quick Selection Tool) and you should get better results.

 

[sircoisoc]

I used the Pen Tool.

The Magnetic Lasso Tool is a very substandard way to make an accurate selection.
The tool should only ever be used on objects with WELL defined edges and then it will only give you about an 80 - 90 percent accuracy.
Chances are, you have an amount set in the feather window that's causing your white "fringe".
View attachment 113447

Use any other tool (like the Quick Selection Tool) and you should get better results.

Thank you! I re did the selection with the pen tool and it's way better but I'm still getting some jagged edges with darker pixels. Why could this be? Is my selection still unaccurate?

 

[IamSam]

but I'm still getting some jagged edges with darker pixels. Why could this be?

Well.........what's your zoom level? The aliasing will be present in most images when zoomed in real close. At 100%, the human eye will not be able to see the aliasing. As for the darker pixels, use your Brush Tool on the layer mask to clean them up. Use a very small brush at about 90% hardness.

 

[sircoisoc]

Well.........what's your zoom level? The aliasing will be present in most images when zoomed in real close. At 100%, the human eye will not be able to see the aliasing. As for the darker pixels, use your Brush Tool on the layer mask to clean them up. Use a very small brush at about 90% hardness.

Thank you so much! You really helped me and the results are now great!