Do you want to cut out an object and place it on a different background? Then today you'll learn about four selection methods, each ideal for a different type of image. In Adobe Photoshop, the developers have tried to pay sufficient attention to the selection tools, some of which can be used even by a beginner, while others have more complex settings that you will have to tinker with.

For example, if your image is on a white background, then you can cut it out within a couple of seconds using the Magic Wand tool. But what about more complex elements, for example, if you have to cut out a girl with curly hair? The usual selection tool will definitely not help here.

Of course, there are many more ways to select images in Photoshop, however, in this article we will look at the 4 best methods that are the most optimal and convenient for both novice users and hardcore Photoshop users.

Selecting an object with the Lasso tool.

If the object is on a white background, then you can use the “Magic Wand” tool, which will select the entire object in one click. If the object is located on a non-uniform background, but with fairly clear boundaries, you can use the Lasso tool.

1. Add your original image to Photoshop.


2. Find the Lasso tool on the vertical toolbar and right-click on it. Several hidden tools will appear, including the Magnetic Lasso tool. The nice thing about this tool is that when you start tracing an object, the lasso becomes “magnetized” to the object’s outline. Thus, you will spend no more than a minute on selecting an object. However, this tool will not cope with more complex images, where the background almost merges with the object, and the object itself has many complex elements.


3. Now you can delete the image from the background (Ctrl+Delete), copy and paste it onto another background (Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V).


Selecting an object with a quick mask.

Using this tool, you simply paint over the selected object, and then carry out the necessary manipulations with it.

1. Add an image to Photoshop and select the Brush tool. A round icon called “Quick Mask” will appear at the very bottom of the vertical panel. Activate it.


2. Paint over the selected object. It's okay if you go beyond the boundaries of the object - you can later correct the flaws using the Eraser tool. When you're done selecting, click the Quick Selection icon again. The red color will disappear and a dotted line will appear around the object, indicating the boundaries of the selection.


Wiping the background.

1. Add an image to Photoshop and convert the background into a layer. To do this, right-click on the thumbnail image and click “Convert to Smart Object.” Right-click again and select Restore Layer.


2. Select the eraser tool and simply erase the background image. This selection method is useful when it is not clear which objects to erase and which to leave.


Hair highlighting.

A final selection method that is perfect for selecting something as complex as hair. Especially if your hair is curly, it is almost impossible to carefully select an object with your own hands.

1. Select the Quick Selection tool. Set the brush size to 37 px and Hardness 100% and stroke the object.


2. Now it's time to apply the Thin Edge tool, which is located in the brush settings panel.


A settings window will appear where you need to select the desired display mode. Because in our case, we need to see the outlines of the hair, then select the “Black and white” display mode. This way you will get a black and white mask. Do not close the window, because we will continue to work with him.

3. In the “Edge detection” column, check the box next to “Smart” radius and set the radius to 99.0.

4. Go back to the “Display Mode” section and in the “View” column change the indicator to “On Black”.


5. In the “Output” section, check the box next to “Clear colors” and in the “Effect” column set the value to 68%.


6. Are you satisfied with the result? Then in the “Output to” column, make sure that “New layer with layer mask” is selected and click OK.

7. Because Photoshop has created a layer with a mask, make sure that the peephole is removed opposite the original background.

Now you have selected a photo of a girl with every hair. Just copy the object using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+C and paste the photo onto another background (Ctrl+V).

Very often when working with Photoshop you need to cut out an object from the original image. This can be either a piece of furniture or part of the landscape, or living objects - a person or an animal. In this lesson we will get acquainted with the tools used in cutting, and also practice a little.

We will divide this material into two parts. In the first, we'll get acquainted with the tools that you can use to select and then cut out, and in the second, we'll practice using the most effective of them.

Selection tools

There are several tools suitable for cutting out an image in Photoshop along its contour.

Quick selection

This tool is great for selecting objects with clear boundaries, that is, the tone at the borders does not mix with the background tone.

Magic wand

The magic wand is used to select pixels of the same color. If you wish, if you have a plain background, for example white, you can remove it using this tool.

Lasso

Straight-line lasso

The straight-line lasso is suitable if you need to select and cut out an object that has straight lines (edges).

Magnetic lasso

Another “smart” Photoshop tool. Reminds me in its action "Quick Selection". The difference is that "Magnetic lasso" creates a single line that “sticks” to the outline of the object. The conditions for successful use are the same as for "Quick selection".

Feather

The most flexible and easy-to-use tool. Can be used on any objects. It is recommended to use it when cutting out complex objects.

Practice

The first five tools can be used intuitively and at random (it will work or not), and the Pen requires certain knowledge from the Photoshopper. That's why we decided to show you how to use this tool. This is the right decision, since you need to learn correctly right away, so as not to have to relearn later.

So, open the model’s photo in the program. Now we will separate the girl from the background.

1. Create a copy of the layer with the original image and get to work.

   

2. Take the tool "Feather" and place a reference point on the image. It will be both starting and ending. This is where we will close the outline once the selection is complete.
   

   Note: Unfortunately, the cursor will not be visible in the screenshots, so we will try to describe everything in as much detail as possible in words.

   

3. As you can see, we have fillets in both directions. Now let's learn how to get around them "Per". Let's go right. To make the rounding as smooth as possible, you should not put many points. We place the next reference point at some distance. Here you must determine for yourself where the radius approximately ends.

   For example, here:

   

4. Now the resulting segment must be bent in the desired direction. To do this, put another point in the middle of the segment.

   

5. Next, press the key CTRL, grab this point and pull it in the right direction.

   

This is the main technique for highlighting complex areas of an image. In the same way we go around the entire object (the girl). If, as in our case, the object is cropped (from below), the outline can be moved outside the canvas.



6. Once the selection is complete, right-click inside the resulting outline and select the context menu item "Create selected area".

   

   Set the feathering radius to 0 pixels and click "OK".

   

There are several methods.

First way

In the filter menu for this action there is a special filter “Extract”, which allows you to automate the process. Here's the image we'll be working with:

A filter window will open, where you will first need to outline the image with a marker (green is used in the screenshot, but you can choose it yourself in the settings), and then fill the area that needs to be cut out with a different color (blue in the screenshot).

To check the quality of extraction, let's fill the background on the bottom layer.

It can be seen that there are some errors on the upper petals. You can fix them manually using an eraser, a magnetic lasso, or another method convenient for you.

Cut using selection

Another quick way to cut out objects from the background is the magnetic lasso. To activate the tool, you need to press the shortcut key L, then circle a fragment of the picture, periodically placing anchor points.

The final image doesn't need much improvement:

The highest quality object extraction is done manually with a Pen Tool or pen. After creating a vector path with the Pen Tool, select “Create Selection Area” from the right-click menu and cut it out onto a new layer.

Tracing with a pen takes more time and does not always allow you to cut out detailed images like hair, fur, or water drops. But in images with clear contours, this method gives an ideal result.

Since the vast majority of all cases of work in Photoshop involve processing ready-made images, the lion's share of the program's tools are designed to perform this operation.

Filters (read about them in the previous lesson) are a fairly small and very easy to use part of them. In this article we will look at more complex functions.

Since there are many tools, I will not list the entire arsenal of the editor, but will simply analyze a common example of work - cutting out a fragment of one picture and pasting it into another.

We have the sea.

There is a seagull.

And we want the seagull to soar over the sea.

Let's get started.

Preparation

At this stage, you need to open the original images and create a document to combine them.

1. First open a file with an image of the sea. To do this, press the key combination Ctrl+O or execute the command File -> Open, in the Explorer window that appears, find the file with the sea, click on it and press the Open button.

2. Open the seagull file in the same way.

3. Create a new document of 760x475 pixels. To do this, press the key combination Ctrl+N or execute the command File -> New, in the Width and Height fields, enter the specified values ​​and click OK.

4. Now we have three documents open in Photoshop, and you can navigate between them using tabs.

Moving

Pictures from open files need to be placed on different layers of the working document.

1. Go to the sea image by clicking on its title.

2. Select the entire image. To do this, either execute the command Selection -> All of the main menu of the program, or simply press the key combination Ctrl+A. As a result, the picture will receive a frame, indicating that it is selected.

3. Copy the selection by pressing the Ctrl+C key combination or in the main Photoshop menu by executing the Edit -> Copy command.

4. Go to the working document by clicking on its title.

5. Paste the copied picture - either press Ctrl+V, or select Edit -> Paste from the main menu.

6. The program created the layer for the new material automatically. Rename it Sea by clicking the layer name in the Layers panel, entering a new name and pressing Enter.

7. In the same way, copy and paste the image with a seagull into the working document: go to the picture by clicking on its title, select the entire image (Ctrl+A), copy it (Ctrl+C), go to the working document and paste the picture (Ctrl+ v) . The layer was also created automatically, rename it Seagull.

As a result, our working document acquired two new layers on which the original images are placed.

Transformation

We will talk about it in more detail, but for now we really only need one simple tool.

As you have probably already noticed, the drawing with a seagull is much larger in size than the drawing with the sea. And the seagull itself is also too large for the chosen landscape - it will not fit into the scale.

To fix this, you need to reduce the entire image with the seagull to an acceptable size.

To do this, we will use the Free Transform tool, which allows you to change the shape and size of the image.

1. Using the Move tool, move the image with the seagull so that the bird does not remain behind the frame and is fully visible.

3. Select the seagull layer: make sure it is active and press Ctrl+A.

4. In the main menu, select Edit -> Free Transform, or press the key combination Ctrl+T.

5. Reduce the size of the picture to an acceptable size, paying attention to the size of the seagull - it should fit harmoniously into the seascape. To make it smaller, drag the rectangles that appear in the corners of the picture. To resize proportionally, hold down the Shift key.

6. To complete the conversion, change the tool (for example, select the Move tool) and in the question window, click the Apply button.

Select and cut

Now the most important thing remains - to cut out the seagull so that it floats above the sea. True, in fact, we will not cut out the seagull, but the entire sky around it, that is, the bird, on the contrary, will remain, but everything from its picture will be deleted.

To cut, you first need to select, and this is the hardest thing to do. There are many tools for selection in Photoshop: various types of lasso, Quick selection, Fragment selection, etc. Each has its own narrow specialization and its own subtleties.

We will use the Magic Wand tool, which automatically finds areas with pixels of similar color and selects them.

1. On the Tools palette, click the Magic Wand icon.

2. Pay attention to the options panel.

The number in the Tolerance field determines the width of the allocated color spectrum. For example, if the value is zero, the Magic Wand will select only those pixels in the picture that are identical in color to the selected one. If set to 16, the tool will select pixels 8 units darker and 8 units lighter than the selected one. In our case (the background contrasts well with the seagull), the value can even be equal to 100, and the excess will still not be highlighted.

The button makes the borders of the selected area smoother; it must be pressed.

If the button is pressed, the program will select pixels only in areas adjacent to the selected one, that is, it will eliminate the possibility of highlighting an area with similar shades in another part of the picture.

But it’s better not to press the button, because then the Magic Wand will select the area on all layers, and not just on one.

3. Making sure that the seagull layer is active, the Magic Wand tool is selected, and the previous selections are deselected (Select -> Deselect). When you are sure, click on the bird itself with the mouse button.

4. She stood out. But we need to remove not it, but everything around it, so in the main menu, run the command Select -> Invert so that everything surrounding the seagull becomes selected.

5. Now simply delete the selection by pressing the Delete key. There was only one seagull left above the sea.

6. Execute the command Select -> Deselect.

7. Click on the Move tool icon and select the seagull layer (Ctrl+A).

8. Move the seagull to any place, if necessary or simply desired, and deselect it.

Preservation

The most important thing left is to save the result to a file. Export the resulting image to your favorite format using the File -> Export command (we already talked about this in more detail in the very first lesson). In case you suddenly want to return to editing the picture in the future, save it in .PSD format.

Many owners of old computers are wondering how to cut in Photoshop CS5. After all, a more recent version of the graphics editor requires powerful resources. Such people should not despair. You can cut objects even in the oldest versions of the program. To do this, you need to perform approximately the same steps as are required with the latest version of Photoshop installed.

We will perform all operations in Adobe Photoshop CC. But you can repeat after us in almost any version of the graphics editor. The result should be identical. First we will try to work with the image of three apples on a black background. We will cut out these fruits by moving them to the bottom left corner.

Please note that we specifically selected a picture with a black background. This example makes it easy to understand how the cut function works. If an object is moved, then the empty space must be filled with something. Typically the "hole" is filled with a background color. In our case, we need to select black as the background color. Then the result will be perfect. To select a color, look at the left side of Adobe Photoshop. Under the tool icons there is a pair of multi-colored squares. The first is responsible for the main color, and the second for the background color. Click on the second one and find the black color in the palette that appears.


We are already very close to answering the question of how to cut in Photoshop CS6 or any other version of the graphics editor. Now the program needs to indicate what exactly we want to cut. In our case, these are three apples. But pointing does not mean clicking on a certain part of the picture. With this we simply point to a single pixel, of which the image consists of many. The object must be selected.

There are different tools you can use to make selections in Photoshop. To select a person or other complex objects, you usually use the Magnetic Lasso tool. We'll get to it a little later, in the next parts of the lesson. Here you can use the Quick Selection tool. The fact is that the apples are on a contrasting background. And they themselves consist of only a few colors. Therefore, a graphic editor can easily independently separate these fruits from the background.


After selecting the Quick Selection tool, the cursor will turn into a circle with a cross in the center. You can now click on the object until all three apples are selected. Difficulties may arise with dark areas. If you accidentally select the background, click on it with the left mouse button while holding down the Alt key. Even when selecting, you may need to reduce the brush size. This is done at the top of the program. It should take you literally 30 seconds to select all three apples.


There is also a “Refine Edge” button at the top of the program. Click it, and in the dialog box that pops up, check the box next to “Smart Radius”. The “Radius” slider needs to be moved to the right to a value of 7-10 pixels. The rest of the sliders should not be touched. When you are satisfied with the result, click the “OK” button.

Everything else is very simple. Select the Move tool. The corresponding icon is located at the very top of the left side of the working window. Then hover over the highlighted apples. Hold down the left mouse button and drag them to the lower left corner. Unfortunately, the result will not suit you. No matter how you refine the selection, traces of the outline of the apples may remain.


Now go back to any tool from the selection group. Right-click on the apples. In the context menu that appears, select “Cut to new layer.” Then expand the Layers panel. Click here on the eye located near the new layer. As a rule, it is called “Layer 1”. This action will temporarily hide the apples from view. Only the background layer will be displayed.

Now you need to erase the remnants of the contours from the apples. This is done using the Eraser tool. Increase the brush size as much as possible to get the job done as quickly as possible. Then start moving the cursor (now it is a regular circle) while holding down the left mouse button. Gradually, not a single trace of the apples will remain, the background will become completely black.
All that remains is to return to the “Layers” panel and turn on the display of the fruit layer. The result was perfect. Now you should forget about the question of how to cut out this or that object in Photoshop. But to consolidate the material, we will still move from apples on a black background to a more complex photograph. After all, you need to understand that you can cut out an object not only to move it around the existing image. It can also be inserted into a completely different picture.

How to cut an object from the background and paste it in Photoshop?

Let's now try to understand how to cut out an object from the background in Photoshop, but the background will be very complex, and the object needs to be pasted in another image. As an example, let's take a photograph of a young man with grass and a forest behind him.


As in the previous case, the person must first be selected. But this cannot be done using Quick Selection. You will spend too much time, and the result will most likely be disastrous. So this time use the Magnetic Lasso tool.

This tool works very simply. Zoom in to 100 percent. Then click on the outline of the person. The first marker will appear. Next, move the cursor along the contour, and the following markers will appear. The sharper the image, the better the result. If the contrast and clarity of the photo are far from ideal, then the automatic markers may be placed incorrectly. In this case, try to force them by clicking the left mouse button. Just don't accidentally double-click, this will automatically connect the last marker to the first. To move around the enlarged image, press and hold the Spacebar.

Gradually you will reach the first marker, after which a dotted line will run along the contour of the person. But, as you can see, in our case one problem emerged. The area between the left hand and the person’s stomach, in which grass and flowers can be seen, was also highlighted.


This area can be easily removed from the selection. To do this, continue using the Magnetic Lasso tool. Hold down the Alt key and then left-click on the outline of the unwanted area. Then select this outline as usual.

How to cut out an image in Photoshop?

Now you need to understand how to cut out an image in Photoshop - because now the person’s movement will not lead to anything, we need to paste it into a completely different picture, getting a new background. This is done very simply, but let’s first refine the selection using the already familiar “Refine Edge” button. Now you need to do more careful work in the pop-up dialog box. Apples are the simplest item. The human outline is more voluminous. You need to try to get rid of all artifacts, otherwise they will be very noticeable.

Be sure to check the box next to “Smart radius”. The radius needs to be increased. In our case, we needed to increase the radius size to five pixels. For you, this value may be different, since it all depends on the accuracy of the initial selection and the resolution of the photo. 100% smoothing was also required. To destroy artifacts, you can try increasing the feathering. But only up to one or even half a pixel. When you are satisfied with the result, click the “OK” button.


When you do this, you will be returned to the image with the selected person. Now is the time to cut out your subject. To do this, right-click on it. In the context menu, select “Cut to new layer”. Please note that the person received some 3D effect. In some cases, this effect looks very interesting. Now you need to go to the “Layers” panel. Here you will see a new layer containing the shooting effect.

Now you need to cut out the object and paste it in Photoshop, but in a different picture. This is done using the usual drag and drop method. To begin, open a new image using Adobe Photoshop. Return to the photo with the person. In the Layers panel, hover over the person layer. Left-click and hold. Now drag this layer directly onto the picture you just opened.


The result can be achieved in another way. It will be useful for those people whose pictures open as tabs. When the layer is selected, go to “Edit>Cut”. And on the new image you should follow the path “Edit>Insert”. The result will be the same.

Due to a mismatch in photo resolutions, the man appeared very large in the picture. It needs to be reduced. To do this, select any tool from the selection group and right-click on the person. In the context menu, click on the “Free Transform” item.


A frame with several markers will appear around the person's figure. With their help, you can rotate an object and change its size. You can make a person smaller using corner markers. But do not forget to hold down the Shift key, otherwise the proportions of height to width will not be preserved. This mode also allows you to move an object. To do this, place the cursor closer to its center, and then hold down the left mouse button. At the right place, the button should be released. When you are satisfied with the result of all the changes, double-click the left mouse button on the person.

How to cut out a photo in Photoshop?

You have clearly mastered the material on the topic “How to cut out a photo in Photoshop,” but there are a couple more details that not every person will guess. The cut out object is not always suitable for the selected background. We specially selected a bright photo for the background, so sunlight on a person does not make the picture unreal. A photo with the night sky as a background would no longer be suitable. Or it would take a very long time to work on the layer containing the human figure. It would require changing its tone, reducing the brightness and performing other actions that we will not touch on for now.

Also, at the maximum scale, you can detect various artifacts on the human outline. If the edge refinement didn't work very well, bits of grass and other elements will be visible. You can get rid of them using the Eraser tool. You just need to choose the right brush size so as not to accidentally erase the person himself.


In this lesson we were able to cut and paste a small object in Photoshop and the result turned out quite good. Then you can create a full-fledged collage. We recommend that you try inserting other objects. For example, some kind of sign, and put an interesting inscription on it. In a word, it all depends on your imagination.


You should know that you can cut out not only the selected object. If you are actively creating some kind of collage, then all the elements are separate layers. For example, a text inscription is created as a separate layer. It can be cut out exactly as described above. Shapes, lines and other elements are created in the form of separate layers. Even the fill can be organized on a new layer. And all this can be cut, copied, changed... In a word, the possibilities of Photoshop are endless!

How to cut a photo in Photoshop?

Let's return for a moment to the question of how to cut out a photo in Photoshop, because some people are interested in how much time it takes to do all these actions. If you remember all the operations, then everything will depend on the selection speed. If you cut out an apple or an orange, this operation can be completed in just half a minute. With a person, everything is more complicated. Its outline is complex. And if this is a girl with flowing hair... But in any case, highlighting and cutting should take no more than three to five minutes. Beginner users may need to spend a little more time.

Never forget to use the Refine Edge button! Pressing it allows you to improve the selection. Try increasing the feathering. But in some cases it is better to leave it at zero level.

Also, don’t forget to choose the right image for your new background. If you're working on a collage, you can use Adobe Photoshop's built-in features to create a background from scratch. To do this, simply go to “Layers>New Fill Layer>Pattern”. Initially, not the largest number of patterns were introduced into Photoshop. But you can easily download additional sets online. You will definitely need this in the future. Well, as for working with the collage, the layer with the pattern will need to be moved down. This is done, as you might guess, in the “Layers” panel.

How to cut a picture from the background in Photoshop?

Some people are also interested in how to cut out a background in Photoshop - usually this operation is required to replace the background. After all, it is not necessary to transfer the person to a new picture. Sometimes it is enough to cut out the existing background behind it and then substitute a new one. And no one will forbid a person to move around the image, because there will be empty space around him.

Let's go back to our young man in front of the forest. Go back to the moment when the man is singled out. Refine the edges so that unnecessary artifacts do not appear later. Now all that remains is to cut out the background. To do this, go to “Select>Invert”. You will immediately notice that now absolutely everything has been selected, with the exception of the subject. Further actions are clear - you just need to follow the path “Edit>Cut”. Or press the key combination Ctrl+X. We advise you to remember this combination, it is responsible for performing the operation you need.


The background will immediately change to the background color you selected. To move a person, we use the tool we have already mentioned, which is called “Movement”. But first, go to the “Layers” panel and double-click on the word “Background”. Rename this layer, otherwise you will be prohibited from moving it. Note that it is better to perform this operation immediately after inverting the selection. But then you won’t see any black color; the distant background will simply become transparent.

This concludes our lesson and now you know how to cut out a picture in Photoshop. This operation is implemented in a graphic editor very simply. As mentioned above, you can cut out any selected object or even an entire layer. Moreover, you can even cut out a group of layers or an entire folder. But this feature is required only by experienced Adobe Photoshop users, whose creations consist of a huge number of layers.