Expert: Glen Demers - 4/21/2011

Question
QUESTION: Hi Glen,

I am writing to you in the matter of the info that you sent me on softening up the edges on extracted composed images. I have tried what you said to do and I having a bit of a problem. So, maybe there is a mix up on what I am asking. I mean I have asked you about smoothing the edges from the question that I asked before the softening of the edges question. You mentioned about shadow effect, that I tried and it is a cool effect, but that is not what I am asking. Here is, that I am sending you three apple images of edges composed after extracting them. To start I figure, I send you the images to show you what I am trying to ask on how do I get the edges of my composed images to look just like  that or this way.

Image 1, is not anyway extracted or composed it is a picture I took of an apple with a white paper background. As you can see the shadow around the apple and the reflection of the white background, but it does look good with these effects that I did not make as I have said I just took this picture and to show you in the red oval circles the edges how they look as you can see they look, well they are natural looking cause they are.

Now, image 2. is another picture I took of another apple and this one is extracted and composed and as you can see the red oval circles of the edges of this image. Well, as I am seeing them now before sending you this image well it does have the edges that are not natural as image 1 as you can see comparing, image 1 and image 2 together. Image 2 that I did was after extracting it I used the eraser tool I hardly touched the edges with the eraser tool and this is how I got the image to look. But again if you see the edges with again the red oval circles you can see the edges and they do not look like the way the edges look like in image 1.

Now, image 3 was done just like image 2, but this time I used I used the blur tool and just like the eraser tool I hardly touched the edges of the image with the blur tool and this image too is not natural looking like image 1

Again image 1 was not extracted or composed in any way, a natural look, just the picture was taken. Where image 2 and image 3 were extracted and composed, but the edges do not look natural like image 1. So, Glen how can I get the edges in the images 2 and 3 to look natural looking like image 1?

Glen, again seeing the edges in image 1 and now seeing the edges in image 2 and 3. The edges in image 2 and 3 are ragged as you would say and kind and sort of like the time I asked you about the text matter if you remember. So, once again Glen how can I get the edges in the images 2 and 3 to look natural looking like image 1? Thanks, Glen.

Martin

P.S. Glen as you saw image 2 and 3. I still have those ragged edges, but as you saw image 1 it doesn’t even if it is just a picture and no work done on it and the edges are natural, again how do I get those edges in image 2 and 3 like image 1? With the work that I told you that I did on image 2 and 3. So, once again as I know I am repeating myself, how can I get the edges in the images 2 and 3 to look natural looking like image 1?

ANSWER: Hi Martin,

For an image like the apple, where the edges are clearly defined and smooth, instead of using the extract filter I would just use quick mask to make the selection. Hit the letter 'd' to set the foreground to black and the background to white. Hit 'q' to go into quick mask mode and select the brush tool. Enlarge the picture and paint carefully around the edges with a hard brush. Increase the brush size to fill in the apple. When you are done hit 'q' again to leave quick mask and hit command/control J to copy your selection to a new layer.

Any time you have edges in a Photoshop image, say a black letter on a white background, Photoshop does anti-aliasing. The pixels are either black or white and close up can look like a staircase, anti-aliasing smooths out this staircase look by putting some grey pixels between the black and white to give it a smooth appearance. Whenever you extract or outline and image you or the software has to choose what colors are with the image and what level of grey gets left behind. The act of outlining an image undoes the anti-aliasing. This is why we have to use increased resolution, drop shadows, fuzzy/blurry edges and other tricks to compensate.

Hope this helps,
Glen Demers
Adobe Certified Expert, Photoshop 7
Prepress Technician, Best Printing Online
www.bestprintingonline.com

For more Photoshop tips please visit our help pages here: http://www.bestprintingonline.com/photoshop.htm

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Glen,

Thanks again for the info. But this would also work with other images instead of the apple as I used as an example, right cause I know of the smooth edges on the apple, but what about other images without the smooth edges. I would have to smooth the edges on other images and how would I be able to do that? Thanks, Glen.

Martin

Answer
Hi Martin,

It's the not smooth edges that create the problems! There are lots of articles and tutorials about outlining hair, fur coats, bicycle wheels and other items that are to ragged or complex to outline by hand. They employ a lot of techniques to fake the edge and make it appear natural, such as semi-transparent edges, soft drop shadows and blurred edges.

Sometimes I've found it's easier to just roughly outline something and change the remnant background pixels using color adjustment tools. Sometimes it's easier to outline something by using only one of the color channels.

I'm happy to offer my advice on outlining a specific image but my best advice would be to try different ways and experiment with different tools and settings. The more you know the more weapons you have at your disposal to attack the next outlining problem. Here are some tutorials to start you off.

http://www.photoshopcafe.com/tutorials/cutout/cutout.htm

http://av.adobe.com/russellbrown/CS4Masking_SM.mov

http://www.blog.spoongraphics.co.uk/tutorials/handy-techniques-for-cutting-out-h

Good luck and Happy Photoshopping!
Glen Demers
Adobe Certified Expert, Photoshop 7
Prepress Technician, Best Printing Online
www.bestprintingonline.com

For more Photoshop tips please visit our help pages here: http://www.bestprintingonline.com/photoshop.htm