How To Cut Out An Image
Some people asked me how to cut out an object or picture in photoshop, so i decided to create an tutorial about it.
There are a lot of ways to do this and i will show you the most common ways to do this. I used a twitter picture to show you how, because sinds yesterday you can folow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/tutorialfreakz.
Option 1: Magic Wand Tool 
This option can only be used on the most simple pictures, with only very view different background colors or a simple gradient background.
Simple click “W” to open the Magic Wand Tool, then click on the background. You will see a selection, if you are happy with the area that is selected, simple press “Delete” on you keyboard.
When using the “Magic Wand Tool” , be sure you set the “Tolerance” higher or lower depending on how much colors you would like to select.
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Option 2: Magnetic Lasso Tool 
Pen Tool 
This can be used on a lot more pictures but still it is better if you can see a good color difference between the object you would like to cut out and the background.
Press “L” to open the Magnetic Lasso Tool and click around the object you would like to cut out.
The Magnetic Lasso Tool will help you create the line. Just play with it to see how the Magnetic Lasso Tool works.
After you have selected the object press “CTRL +SHIFT + i” to reverse the selection.
Now press “Delete” on you keyboard.
This option is the same with the Pen Tool and the normal Lasso Tool, but the Magnetic Lasso Tool is helping you a little bit. You need some practise when you use the Pen Tool.
Option 3: Quick Mask 
To use Quick Mask Mode press “Q” or click the Quick Mask Icon . Then press “B” to open the Brush Tool.
Now color in the object you would like to cut out.
Now click “Q” again or click the Edit In Standard Mode 
icon.
You will now see a selection around the painted object. Press “Delete” on your keyboard to delete the background.
I know there are more ways to cut out an object or picture, but these are the most common ways to do this.
Maybe some of you are now thinking why is his background white when he delete the background.
This is because i used a white background layer below the picture i am editing.
Thank you for reading.
I hope this was helpful for some of you.
Comments
thanks alot… this is very helpful for a newbie like me….
Thank you, i’m glad this is helpful to you
Thanks – never thought about the quick mask option – good to have another method when things get difficult!!!
Hey, I have a question. I can’t find a tutorial on this. I can cut out the background and everything but I am trying to actually make a cutout. I need to subtract a person from a photo for a collage. But I can not figure out how. I need a fix asap.
Great work webmaster, nice design.
Ok, all you have to do is use the lasso tool and outline the image that you would like to extract. Next you go to the “Select” menu option at the top, then click “Inverse”, then hit the delete button. This should delete everything but the image you wanted. Hope it works out for you.
When I try this I end up with a white background the size of the original picture. Do you know how to get rid of the background so I have just the cutout? Is this a layer thing? Thanks!
Hi Lauren,
You probably have a white background layer below the picture you cutted out.
Just delete the background layer.
Good Luck.
I have managed to cut an image out and save it.
How do I now put this into a separate image file ie I want to bring it in. I have tried copy and paste but when I open the new image I can’t paste anything into it
Just duplicate the layer of your cut to the image you want it on.
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So open the cutted image in photoshop and the image you would like to paste it on.
Right click the layer of your cut and click duplicate layer. Then you can select where the duplicated layer needs to go, ofcourse select your image.
Hope this helps, good luck.
goood it’s nice to practice
Thanks man this is pretty helpful
Wow. I’ve never used any of those methods (though I have gotten compliments on how cleanly the image was cut regardless). Man, alive, do I feel stupid. I guess I’ll have to try these methods out sometime. Out of curiosity…just how dumb is it to cut out using paths? (Or whatever the photoshop equivalent is…I’m a GIMP’er myself)
I’ve managed to get the object I want outlined in the little dotted lines… but I want to do something else and I’m not sure exactly how I explain what I want. But I will try. I have cut out a picture of myself, and made the background a concert stage and such. I have another picture of a guitar, that I want to cut out and put in the picture of me. I’ve outlined it but I want to get rid of the background and just have thet guitar… how do I do this?
Wait. I posted that 2 seconds too soon. I realized all I have to do it select the inverse, and copy and paste it!
when you cut out someone and put him in a different background, how do you make it more realistic?
Hi, thanks for the tips! I’m using Photoshop Elements 8 and I’m compiling a newspaper cuttings image file for the web. I’ve used the magic wand to cut out around the cutting and delete the background fine but the white background (the size of the original scan which is then revealed stays when I save the file. This means when I go to put a drop shadow on the ‘cutting’ it shadows the square white background not the ragged cutting. Do you see what I mean?
What am I doing wrong do you think?
Thanks for your time
T
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I have tried all of the above, but an’t get the “cut” separated from the white background. Used inverse, lasso, etc. I have eliminated the background, but of the original photo, but it leaves a white background when I copy it to a new photo. No luck getting rid of the white background.
Thanks for your help.
I like this post very interesting and informative, thanks a lot for sharing the ideas, thanks…. and keep up the good work!
I have tried to cut a person from a photo with plain beige curtains as a backgroung using the Magnetic Lasso. I took a few standard shots using a biege cutain as a background, but as you noted, you run into problems with lighter backgroud. However I erased the backgroung, but after tracing a person, it woudn’t the allow Cut command. If you have better solution, that would be awesome! In the meanwhile I’ll fiddle around.
THANK YOU,
Earl
Very best bedding
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