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Trick to extract image from background?


regulator said:
Is the quick select tool the magic lasso? ... that may just be my name for it but somehow I remember it being called that at some point.
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Sorry, didn't realize you were still around.

What version of Photoshop do you have? I went from PS6 to CS5 so I don't know when it was first introduced, but it's been a few versions I think.

quick select.jpg

it is the tool just below the lasso set. "w" is the short cut key.
 
Wow, significantly better and faster. Do you think this is something that I would be able to enlarge enough to make a life sized cutout or should I find a picture with higher resolution. I don't need anything specific other than an athlete who shows commitment. Then of course I have to print it and make a big poster standing thing.



ibclare said:
This took me about 8 minutes, maybe less, to use the quick select (I go to high zoom, not pixel level, but enough to see the edges closely), apply a mask, refine the mask, then take a quick sweep around with the brush (on the mask) to do a bit of clean up. As you can see, it still needs an edge swept over like the top of the arms, but it's a darn site prettier than the jaggedies!

Really though, if you intend to do this type of thing very often, learn the pen tool. It takes more time till you get the hang of it and even a bit more (till you become expert I suppose) after you know what you're doing, but the results are worth it. You can even clean up the rough edges that are left on this selection by roping them with the pen tool. The lasso does the same job but you have more control over the pen.

View attachment 16436
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Oh, one more thing -- godz I'm garrulous today -- part of your problem with this image is that it is a pretty terrible image. In other words, it is very low resolution and so it is hard to define pixel edges. They blur into each other, even without the blur of the background. It doesn't matter with most selection tools, such as the magic wand or quick select, whether the background is blurred as much as it does the range of tonality between the subject and the background. So sometimes you need to use the lasso to refine those edges or you can do it with a brush once the mask is in place.
 
regulator said:
Wow, significantly better and faster. Do you think this is something that I would be able to enlarge enough to make a life sized cutout or should I find a picture with higher resolution. I don't need anything specific other than an athlete who shows commitment. Then of course I have to print it and make a big poster standing thing.
Click to expand...

No way this picture will enlarge the way you want it, not even, sorry :cry:

:mrgreen:
 
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