Photoshop question

[Limited Ex]

The only thing I want to do is find out how to cut an object out of a picture, and fade the edges. Like cutting someones head out and pasting it in another picture. I am using Photoshop CS2 if that matters. Time is not on my side when it comes to learning this program, as I have to have my project done by Monday

 

[IZwack]

A person's head is difficult - mainly because of the hair. I would search Google as there are many 'tutorials' and 'how to's when it comes to PS. But a dirty and fast way is to copy the layer and work on the copied layer, bend the curve (CTRL + M) really hard so as there is enough contrast between the object your picking out and the background, use the Magic Wand Tool (W) to select the object, turn off the copied layer and move down to the original layer, and you should know what to do from there.

 

[section525]

I would lasso just outside of their head, then [Select] - [Feather] (about 8 or so) then copy and paste it onto whatever you want. That will blend it pretty good.

 

[Limited Ex]

Actually, if I could be able to do what they did with the pictures on this site: http://images.google.com/imgres?img...ges?q=faded&start=280&svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&sa=N

I would be happy.

For some reason, every time I select the area I want and feather it, then attempt to paste it, it pastes it as the whole image and not just the selected area.

 

[Limited Ex]

Or even more specifically, what they did with the skier in this picture:

http://www.northstarinn.com/images/NStarPcard.jpg

 

[section525]

Here's the Reader's Digest version.

Open the picture in Photoshop. Double-click the layer that reads Background then just hit [OK].

Use the Rectngular Marquee to select the image like so...

Then go up to [Select] then to [Feather] and use about a 20 or so.

Then [Select] [Inverse] the selection.

Then hit the [Delete] key.

Then Flatten the image.

Final result. Two good-lookin gents at the rodeo.

 

[FROADER]

Nice tutorial there Mr. 525.

 

[FROADER]

For some reason, every time I select the area I want and feather it, then attempt to paste it, it pastes it as the whole image and not just the selected area.

Once you have it selected, feather it, copy it then it will paste just the selected area. After that you can move it to where you want.

 

[Limited Ex]

Its still not doing what I want it to

I followed your steps to the T, and when I paste the picture, the edges are faded, but only inside the picture itself. If that makes sense.

In other words, the picture you just did, if I were to paste that on something with a white background, the edges would look faded. But if I pasted that picture over something other than that, you'd see the outer edge of the image itself, instead of the faded edge like that in the picture. Does that make sense?

Here is a picture of what I mean....

 

[FROADER]

What are you trying to do to what picture?

 

[Limited Ex]

The picture I posted, I want to take the shock, cut it out, and fade the edges. When I select the area I want and do what Section posted, then cut it, when its pasted it takes the entire image and not just the shock itself.

The picture I posted is whats pasted instead of just the shock. I put it on a black background to show that the edges in picture are faded, but not around the picture itself.

I used to be able to do this with a different version of photoshop, but I lost it when my hard drive crashed. This verison I have now is more difficult I appreciate the help guys!

 

[section525]

I'm not quite understanding what you're wanting.. but I think it's this?

Use the Lasso (L) to outline the shock

Then [Select] [Feather] it.

Then [Select] [Inverse] it. Then double-click the Background layer and hit [OK] again.

Hit the [Delete[] key.

Then open up your other image (if you have one).

Use the Move tool (V) to drag the shock to your other image.

Then [Edit] [Transform] [Scale] the shock to whatever you like.

Booyah?

 

[section525]

You can change the amount of Feathering to your liking as well. The more feathering you do, the furhter away from the shock you should outline. Less feathering, closer around the shock. If that makes sense.

 

[Limited Ex]

YES! Thats exactly it! A thousand thank yous for understanding my jibberish, and another thousand for those sexy tutorials that you seem to be able to whip together so fluidly One LAST question, I promise, instead of dragging the shock to another image in Photoshop, how would I put it into t a Powerpoint presentation?

 

[etc]

Looks like he's just forgetting to invert the selection.

INVERT

=P

 

[newc5188]

 

[FROADER]

Nice shock placement Johnny...

 

[Limited Ex]

GGAAAHHHHRRR!! I can't feaking believe it! After all these hours of screwing around with Photoshop, I finally got, and it was a 16 second procedure!!!!

What I wanted to do to begin with, was cut the shock itself out of the picture and save it as a file that I could place in a powerpoint presentation. The problem I was running into was every time I attempted to do so, it would appear with the white background. Thats when I figured if I could just fade the edges of the picture just to make it look nicer, that would work fine.

Well after spending countless hours searching and attempting different crap, I finally decided I needed to progress with getting the entire presentation put together, then go back and fiddle with the aesthetics. Well, I started throwing in pictures where I thought they needed to go, and BAM! one of the tire pictures I saved from searching Google just happened to appear exactly the way I had been trying to get them to appear to begin with!! No background at all, just the tire itself on the screen! I was like WTF!?!?! Thats when I noticed it was saved as a .GIF file. So I took the picture of the shock, put it into Photoshop, used the magic wand to select everything around the shock, deleted it, and saved it as a .GIF. Opened up Powerpoint and inserted the picture, and there in all its glory was ONLY THE SHOCK!!!!!

It has been awhile since I have felt rage/elation at the same time Anyhow, thank you guys for all your replies!! I had no idea how to convey what I was attempting to do, and leave it to irony to smack me in the face. MAN, if I had known this 2 days ago, my project would be sooo much farther along :fire:

Thanks for putting up with my whining. Hey look, cheese...

 

[section525]

You should have just said that!

 

[Limited Ex]

You should have just said that!

My brain was not up to that kind of thinking at that point in time. I had just worked a 12 1/2 hour shift, and most of my thinking power was rerouted to maintaining my conciousness Translating my thoughts into words wasn't within my grasp

Thanks again for the replies!