tips for photoshop and extracting images

[yorkshirepuddin]

Hey guys,

Hope your weekend is going good.

I'm sat here playing in photoshop *trying* to achieve some effect with photo extraction etc. While I know how to best extract the parts of the image I want (I'm using the Quick Mask), I do have a few questions.

(1) Is it possible to save the mask so I can go back and edit it later?

(2) As much as I'm trying, my edges are still a little rough. Any tips for smoothing them out?

Any other tips will be welcomed with open arms.

Cheers. YP

[Ryall]

post a psd so I can see what youre trying to achieve exactly and I'll definitly give you some advice.

Peace

[Ryall]

about the mask thing... if you dont apply the mask and just save the entire psd next time you open it it will be there. I guess I am not sure what you mean - as photoshop saves EVERYTHING.

Peace

[yorkshirepuddin]

Well I only just started, so I'm only at the extracting phase. Here's a gif.

Cheers.

[yorkshirepuddin]

Originally posted by Ryall
about the mask thing... if you dont apply the mask and just save the entire psd next time you open it it will be there. I guess I am not sure what you mean - as photoshop saves EVERYTHING.

Peace

Don't worry ... it's probably just me ... usually is! :)

[sonmi]

if you want to just have the flower against the white background, this is what i've found to help for softening the edges: just use drop shadow, and have the setting so that it is barely seen, but still there enough so that it gifts the illusion of softer edges. having a dark drop shadow would work with a picture like this moreso because the edges of the flower are fairly dark, so it'll kind of just blend together.

maybe try like a distance of 0, spead of 7, and size of 4... i don't know. this probably isn't an effect you want added on. this is just something i would do in such a situation.

you could also just go along the entire edge with the smudge tool at a low pressure with a small brush... i don't know :-\

[yorkshirepuddin]

some great ideas there sonmi ... thanks ... actually ... i just applied the effect i wanted and it hards the harsh edges ... although they still need tidying up ... see here ... a work in progress obviously but getting there ...

[yorkshirepuddin]

TIP!

After spending LOTS of delicate time extracting an image, save the image properly. Just lost the master of my extraction - have to start again! :( Oh well, all experience I suppose!

[mdipi]

YP did you just use a patten to do that to the Lilly? It looks SO good! Best wishes on it! I can't wait to see the final result, please post it!

[yorkshirepuddin]

To be honest mdipi, the whole creation was a complete fluke!!! :beam: I just just screwing around and it happened. However, I'm just about to recreate it so I will chart what I do and let you know.

Thanks for the compliments. I really like it too.

YP

[yorkshirepuddin]

I feel like such a pratt!!!! Does anyone know how I 'may' of created the effect in the above post ... I know I put a crosshatch filter on it, but that was at the end, I don't know how I knocked out the colour like that ... I was kind of aimlessly pressing stuff ... *LOL* ... I hate it when that happens ...

*note to self* records actions in PS, that's what its there for!

[yorkshirepuddin]

Nevermind, GOT IT! :beam:

[yorkshirepuddin]

Originally posted by Ryall
about the mask thing... if you dont apply the mask and just save the entire psd next time you open it it will be there. I guess I am not sure what you mean - as photoshop saves EVERYTHING.

Peace

Okay, so I really need to understand this because I'm EXTRACTING for the third time. This time I only needed to knock back in some edges and the mask is gone.

At no point does it ask me if I want to apply or not. When I switch back from Quick Mask it automatically selects the area I've highlighted, I press delete and the unhighlighted areas get knocked out.

[mdipi]

just save while still in quickmask mode, it worked for me :P.

this is what i did:

before
http://www.geocities.com/mdipi2k2/flower.txt

after
http://www.geocities.com/mdipi2k2/flower_pixle.txt

[yorkshirepuddin]

Yeah Mike, I caught onto that one. I was saving after mask applied, but I just assumed you could click back and it would be there. That sucks.

Nice work btw.

[mdipi]

hey thanks for the compliment. Yeah its not there, i did the same thing you did for a while when i first played around with quick masks. :(. BTW what contry are you from? The only place i have ever hear Yorkshire Pudding was when i was in Windsor, England...come to think of it, that was the only place i ever had it too...

[yorkshirepuddin]

I'm from Yorkshire, England. But, I live in Toronto, Canada now.

[eyeinfinitude]

York, you can also feather the edges of your selection, it will blur the edges so you can't see the jagged edges. Here's a link to a tutorial, hope it helps.

http://www.graphic-design.com/Photoshop/Seminars/feathering/feathering.html