photoshop wizz's please!

harmony_

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10 April 2007
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using the magic wand..

how do i get it to not cut half my object off i want to keep?
and i dont know how you do it if the background is not a solid colour?


help pleassee ): x
 
Magic Wand is evil for cutting out.

Its easier to use the Polygonal Lasso tool or the eraser
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Basically, the Magic wand works by selecting a range of pixels, the range is determined by which individual pixel you select and the settings of the wand. I cannot remember the correct term without PS in front of me but when you select the tool, the top tool bar (for example, where you'd select your brush when using paint brush) will give you the option to enter a number.

This number is effectively your range. The higher the number, the wider the range and the wider the area you select. A range of 1 will select only the pixel colour you selected! If it's selecting too much of an image, reduce this number.

Personally, I use this to remove large areas of background...or fiddly areas BUT only when the background colour contrasts against the subject (I wouldn't try it with a bay horse walking through a wood!!)

I hope that made sense!!
 
You will often find that it won't give you the correct selection in just one go - you have to go back and refine it a couple of times. I usually use the + wand first of all to indicate what I want to select. If it then includes bits of the background in the selection I use the - wand to go over the background to exclude it. Sometimes it is then necessary to go back and use the + wand again to tidy up the image.
 
I do cut outs for work! Best way to do it is to use the pen tool, click and put it back down for straight lines, click and drag for curves. I use a Mac so it may be different if you use a PC but hold the Alt key and click on the last 'point' your line has made to 'break' its link with the first point (hope that makes sense) otherwise the line you have drawn will go all over the place! In LAYERS pallet make your fill zero. In PATHS pallet double click on the path then go to the little arrow at the right and select clipping path by choosing Make selection. You can then copy and paste this onto a new layer, delete the background layer and you have the object you wanted all on it's own. Otherwise send it to me and I will do it for you !!!!
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