Expert: LizaL - 12/12/2005

Question
Hello...

I'm a new user of photoshop...
I will ask you my question with an example:
Suppose the I had a picture of Frodo Baggins. Frodo has messy tousled hair that strays everywhere and the background is colorful does not fully contrast with him. How do I cut Frodo from the image and stick him onto another with all of those stray hairs, considering that without them he looks too neat, like a paper cutout. Also what to do about the spaces in his hair through which the background shows?
Is there a way to move Frodo to another picture with his hair intact and without the pieces of background showing through? Or is it impossible?!

Answer
Hi Maram,

Oh, this is very possible! It might not be the easiest thing in the world for you to tackle, being a new user, but if you check out the little movies I'm giving you links to, and also some previously-answered questions, maybe it'll make sense.

Photoshop offers several different ways to achieve the same results -- much like a lot of software programs. But for removing something from an original background, I would generally start out by suggesting three methods.


1. The Extract filter.
This is pretty easy but will require some cleanup afterwards. And it might not be as precise as you want. But for a beginner, it'll get you used to working with deleting backgrounds.

In Photoshop, go under the Filter pulldown menu and select Extract, and you'll see your image come up. Use the highlighter tool (top tool in the Extract filter's tool box, on the left) to draw a border all around the area want to keep, and then fill that area with the paint bucket tool (right below the highlighter). Make sure you enclose an area before you try and fill it. Once it's filled, click on OK, and your extracted graphic will appear in a regular Photoshop window.

I did a quick little movie -- and I was pretty sloppy with this, but I just wanted you to get the general idea.

http://little-works.com/all_experts/extract.mov

As I mentioned, once you've extracted something from a background, you'll still have to do some cleanup. I used the magic wand tool (second from the top, on the right, in the Photoshop tool box), and selected those extra bits of blue, then used the Cut command to delete them. But at any rate, Extract is one way of grabbing a big area and pulling it out of a picture, fast.


2. Background eraser.
This is more advanced, and I hope it's not confusing for you.

A guy asked me a question once that sounds just like your question, and what I told him to do will definitely take care of your problem. He also sent me a link to a picture of a girl with stray hairs that he wanted to leave in the picture, but still be able to delete the background.

Here's a link to the question and my answer. Within the text are URLs for movies I did to illustrate my keystrokes, and be sure not to miss those.

http://www.allexperts.com/answerq.asp?QuestionID=3885162&ExpertID=60259


3. Quick mask.
If you're familiar with the masking process, it'll make this a lot easier. If not, that's OK; basically, quick mask lets you mask (or protect) part of an image, and delete the rest of the image -- thus isolating your selection. Then all you have to do is clean up the edges around your selection.

The quick mask buttons are located just below your swatches in your tool palette. Double-click on the one on the right to enter quick mask. From there, select the Selected Areas option. Choose a brush from your tools palette, and paint the area you wish to select. When you're finished, click on the exit quick mask button, which is just to the left of the one you clicked on to *enter* quick mask. What you painted will be an active selection. To delete the background, select Inverse from the Select pulldown menu, then Cut from the Edit pulldown menu.

You'll have to go back in and do some fine-tuning, of course. Select your eraser tool, choose the brush option for it, and brush away any ragged edges that remain from your selection. Trim or crop your file, and you're finished!

Take a look at this movie I made, and you'll see how I cut the background out, leaving the dog's "hat":
http://little-works.com/all_experts/quick_mask_hat.mov


I hope this isn't too advanced for you, and that you don't find it too confusing. If so, please don't hesitate to post back. For what you want to do, I think you'll get your best results using the background eraser method, but it might take a little practice.

Lisa