How best to cut out an object from a background and place it on a new colour...?

[Dinarius]

I have an object (an antique book cradle, for what it's worth) set against a dark grey background.

I want to cut it out and set it against a solid black background.

Could someone please list the steps - or point me to a list of steps?

The cradle is hard edged, and some of the current background is visible through it legs, for example. So, I'm curious to know the best tool to use to cut it out, for starters.

I'm CS6.

I then want to place it against solid black.

Thanks.

D.

[Mark D Segal]

This is a selection and masking job; the basic idea is to use selection and/or masking tools to isolate the object of interest on its own layer and then move it elsewhere; there are numerous approaches. Books by Katrin Eismann, Scott Kelby and others go into considerable detail regarding all the options for making selections and masks in Photoshop, and there are probably quite a few free on-line tutorials - do a search. You'll find an approach that works best for you.

[TonyW]

I have an object (an antique book cradle, for what it's worth) set against a dark grey background.

I want to cut it out and set it against a solid black background.

Could someone please list the steps - or point me to a list of steps?

The cradle is hard edged, and some of the current background is visible through it legs, for example. So, I'm curious to know the best tool to use to cut it out, for starters.

I'm CS6.

I then want to place it against solid black.

Thanks.

D.

As Mark says this is a selection job and so much depends on the starting point, colour, contrast of image to background etc.  It would be so much easier to make suggestions if we could see the image or at least worst case a portion of the image

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

I have an object (an antique book cradle, for what it's worth) set against a dark grey background.

I want to cut it out and set it against a solid black background.

Could someone please list the steps - or point me to a list of steps?

If you only have a photo, then it's as others have said a selection and masking job. The Quick Selection Tool (W) of CS6 does a reasonable first approximation, which can then further refined. Sometimes it is easier to select the background instead of the object and invert the selection afterwards.

Automatic selection works best if there is enough contrast/color difference, so you might want to make a duplicate layer and manipulate Channels/Curves/etc. to achieve such contrast, only to base the masking on. You can then later copy that mask to the original image layer.

Best would be to make a photograph of your object against a contrasting background, it would make the subsequent masking operation much easier/faster, or if a Black background is used you're already done.

Personally I often (did several this morning) use Photoshop's Quick Selection Tool for a first rough selection and add a few pixels Feathering, and create a masked layer from that, which I then refine in Topaz Remask, because that is more powerful (also when there is object/subject transparency involved) than the Photoshop selection tools.

Cheers,
Bart

[Benny Profane]

I assume that there isn't much contrast between the objuect and the background, as described, so, unfortunately, you're going to have to grab a cup of coffee and spend some time with the pen tool. If there was/is contrast in one of the channels, you can duplicate that channel and refine it into a mask.

[Dinarius]

You're right about the contrast, or lack of.

The cradle is shaped just like this.

The only difference is that mine is made of green jade and is, tonally, not a million miles from grey velvet.

I've tried the Quick Selection Tool and, while it makes a selection, it jumps between the arms of the cradle (leaving the background visible underneath) and across the legs (also leaving the background visible underneath).

Is it possible to "push" the selection back to the edge of the cradle?

Thanks.

D.

[Rory]

Is it possible to "push" the selection back to the edge of the cradle?

You can use Shift and Alt as modifiers with the photoshop selection tools.  One simple way to get rid of part of a selection is to select the Lasso tool, set it on polygon, and Alt Click to start.  This will maintain your original selection and subtract the Lasso selection.  If you Shift Click subsequent selections will be added to the selection.

Selections and Masks are a complex topic.  Katrin Eismann's book "Masking & Compositing", while getting old, is still the authoritative go-to source.

[David Good]

spend some time with the pen tool. If there was/is contrast in one of the channels, you can duplicate that channel and refine it into a mask.

These are good suggestions, the pen tool in particular can be your friend with subjects like that.

[Benny Profane]

The only difference is that mine is made of green jade and is, tonally, not a million miles from grey velvet.

Oh, ok. This is kinda hard to do blind, but, what the heck.

Make an adjustment layer hue/saturation. This is just a temporary layer. Now saturate those greens. A lot. Now, check your channels after this is done, and see if any are now obviously pushed to black and white, or much more than before. Probably the green channel. If so, copy that channel, and use that as a starting point for a mask. Use curves and/or levels to clean the mask up to start. Be gentle, you can go too far. Then use the brush and pen tools to finish. Kill that adjustment layer, you don't need it anymore. Good luck!

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

I've tried the Quick Selection Tool and, while it makes a selection, it jumps between the arms of the cradle (leaving the background visible underneath) and across the legs (also leaving the background visible underneath).

Is it possible to "push" the selection back to the edge of the cradle?

Holding the ALT key (Windows, Option key on Mac) removes from the selection (but it remembers some of the earlier selection, so it's not a complete undo). That allows to alternate between include and exclude. Also, smaller radius selection selects more detail, larger radius selects larger structures.

Cheers,
Bart

[Dinarius]

Thanks guys! 

The Pen Tool worked a dream.

I made the selection, then.......

1. Load Path As Selection.

2. Select Inverse (to select only the grey background, which I didn't want)

3. Then Layer/New Fill Layer/Solid Colour.... for the black that I wanted.

Finally, a few tweaks to the piece itself and that was it.

Happy days.

Pen Tool is bleedin' brill!

Thanks again.

D.

[Martin Kristiansen]

The pen tool. It's the gold standard for hard edge selections and is extremely fast when you get used to it. It's faster than going back and fiddling with auto selection tools. You can send it to Bangladesh and get it done for two or three dollars if you don't feel like learning the tool. Personally I love it.

If you want to place on a black background turn the path into a selection and go to the refine edges dialogue. Check the decontaminate colours. Adjust and fiddle as needed. Simple.

[Benny Profane]

Thanks guys! 

The Pen Tool worked a dream.

I made the selection, then.......

1. Load Path As Selection.

2. Select Inverse (to select only the grey background, which I didn't want)

3. Then Layer/New Fill Layer/Solid Colour.... for the black that I wanted.

Finally, a few tweaks to the piece itself and that was it.

Happy days.

Pen Tool is bleedin' brill!

Thanks again.

D.

Cool. Don't forget to soften that edge a little. Gaussian blur that mask by 1 pixel.

[graeme]

The pen tool. It's the gold standard for hard edge selections and is extremely fast when you get used to it. It's faster than going back and fiddling with auto selection tools. You can send it to Bangladesh and get it done for two or three dollars if you don't feel like learning the tool. Personally I love it.

If you want to place on a black background turn the path into a selection and go to the refine edges dialogue. Check the decontaminate colours. Adjust and fiddle as needed. Simple.

If you learn to use the PS pen tool you're also giving yourself a head start with Adobe Illustrator should you ever decide you want use a vector drawing app.

[BAB]

next time you need pathing there are several companies in India that do a perfect job for pennies 24hr service to cut out that book maybe 0.49-5.00 dollars don't waste your time.

clippingpathindia.com

[kjkahn]

Although this is probably overkill for your particular purpose, I highly recommend Russell Brown's Masking Basics video for CS5.

Masking Basics

Although I am using the latest version of Photoshop CC (2015.5), and the interface has changed, I still use Brown's workflow for selections when other selection tools won't suffice as they would for simple objects with sharp edges or continuous colors.

He also has an advanced tutorial:

Advanced Selections and Masking

Oldies but goodies.