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Adobe Photoshop Help
Selecting
Using Help
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Extracting objects from their background (Photoshop)
The Extract command provides a sophisticated way to isolate a foreground object and
erase its background on a layer. Even objects with wispy, intricate, or undefinable edges
may be clipped from their backgrounds with a minimum of manual work.
Note:
For simpler cases, you can instead use the background eraser tool.
To extract an object, you use tools in the Extract dialog box. First you draw a highlight that
marks the edges of the object, and define the object’s interior. Then you can preview the
extraction and redo it or touch up the result as needed. When you extract the object,
Photoshop erases its background to transparency. Pixels on the edge of the object lose
their color components derived from the background, so they can blend with a new
background without producing a color halo.
You can add back opacity to the background and create other effects by using the
Edit > Fade command after an extraction. (See
“Blending filter effects (Photoshop)” on
page 322
.)
To extract an object from its background:
1
In the Layers palette, select the layer containing the object you want to extract. If you
select a background layer, it becomes a normal layer after the extraction.
To avoid losing the original image information, duplicate the layer or make a snapshot of
the original image state.
Note:
If the layer contains a selection, the extraction erases the background only in the
selected area.
2
Choose Filter > Extract.
You use tools in the Extract dialog box to specify which part of the image to extract.
You can resize the dialog box by dragging its lower right corner.
3
Specify options for tools in the dialog box (you can change these settings at any time):
•
For Brush Size, enter a value, or drag the slider to specify the width of the edge
highlighter, eraser, cleanup, and edge touchup tools.
•
For Highlight, choose a preset color option, or choose Other to specify a custom color
for the highlight.
•
For Fill, choose a preset color option, or choose Other to specify a custom color for the
area covered by the fill tool.
•
If you are highlighting a well-defined edge, select Smart Highlighting. This option helps
you keep the highlight on the edge, and applies a highlight that is just wide enough to
cover the edge, regardless of the current brush size.
4
Adjust the view as needed:
•
To magnify an area, select the zoom tool
in the dialog box, and click in the preview
image. To zoom out, hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) as you click.
•
To view a different area, select the hand tool in the dialog box, and drag in the preview
image.
