How to cut out part of an image & save it as separate file?

[Dinarius]

Using CS6

I want to select part of an image and save it as a separate file.

The Quick Selection Tool does a great job of selecting the piece I want to extract (coz its shot against a pure white background)

Must I duplicate the background layer first?

Can someone please give me the process in baby steps?

Thanks.

D.

[Peano]

1. Select the part you want to save (presumably with the rectangular marquee tool).

2. Ctrl-C (to copy the selection)

3. File > New > OK (opens a new file with the dimensions of the selection in 1)

4. Ctrl-V (pastes the copied selection into the new file)

5. File > Save as ...

[PeterAit]

Another way is to select the part of the image you want, crop it, then use Save As.

[Peano]

Another way is to select the part of the image you want, crop it, then use Save As.

Yes, that'll work. I use the slightly longer route and create a new image because I once hit Save instead of Save As and overwrote the original image with the cropped portion.

[Dinarius]

Thanks for the replies.

Unfortuately, neither is working as I would want.

The selection/cut-out I'm taking from the image (using the Quick Selection Tool) is exactly hexagonal in shape.

After I make the selection, whether I choose File/New or Crop, both routes leave me with a rectangle around my hexagonal shape.

Is there any way to just save the hexagonal shape I have selected and not a rectangular shape?

Thanks again.

D.

[elliot_n]

Follow Peano's method, and then drag the background layer to the trash.

[Dinarius]

Elliot,

Thanks.

Doing what you suggested leaves me with a checkerboard pattern around my hexagonal cut-out.

I get the same checkerboard pattern if I create the new file with Ctrl - N/Background Contents/Transparent selected.

If I now save this file, the checkerboard surround is saved also.

Help!

Thanks again.

D.

[elliot_n]

The checkerboard pattern signifies nothingness. There is nothing there. What exactly are you trying to achieve? You want the document window to be hexagonal? If so, why?

[Dinarius]

I photographed many of these hexagonal bowls. Each bowl is painted differently.

What I want to do is the following;

1. Cut out each bowl from the background I shot it against and save it as a separate file.
2. Create a new (very large) white canvas.
3. Drag each bowl in turn onto the new canvas and line them up next to one another so that all the hexagonal bowls together form a honeycomb pattern.

If I use the Move tool later to drag each cut-out file onto the new white canvas, won't it drag the checherboard pattern too?

I can only achieve the honeycomb layout I want if there is nothing between each bowl.

Many thanks!

D.

[Garnick]

Hi Dinarius,

"Is there any way to just save the hexagonal shape I have selected and not a rectangular shape?"  If I'm interpreting this question properly the answer is NO.  I believe you want the "Canvas", which contains the image, to be hexagonal.  To the best of my knowledge there is no way of accomplishing this is PS or any other app.  If that is not the case I have never seen it or been able to accomplish it.  And yes, the background will be transparent and it will still be a rectangular shape, not the hexagonal shape you want.  But the easiest method is a compilation of both.

1.  Create the selection.

2.  Control or Command + J to save the selection to a separate layer.

3.  Trash the Background layer - DONE

However, the selection will still reside within a rectangular Canvas.

Gary

[elliot_n]

If I use the Move tool later to drag each cut-out file onto the new white canvas, won't it drag the checherboard pattern too?

I can only achieve the honeycomb layout I want if there is nothing between each bowl.

Yes, the checkerboard will be dragged over. But as I said, the checkerboard is nothing. You will be able to do exactly what you want. Just try it.

[Garnick]

I photographed many of these hexagonal bowls. Each bowl is painted differently.

What I want to do is the following;

1. Cut out each bowl from the background I shot it against and save it as a separate file.
2. Create a new (very large) white canvas.
3. Drag each bowl in turn onto the new canvas and line them up next to one another so that all the hexagonal bowls together form a honeycomb pattern.

If I use the Move tool later to drag each cut-out file onto the new white canvas, won't it drag the checherboard pattern too?

I can only achieve the honeycomb layout I want if there is nothing between each bowl.

Many thanks!

D.

Hi again,

I was writing my reply as you were writing this one.  To your question - again the answer is NO, the checkerboard pattern is there to denote a transparent background.  Drag the selection and that's all that will show on the new Canvas you have created.  You will then be able to align all of them as you mentioned, no problem.  Just keep in mind that although the selection resides inside a rectangular area, due to the fact that the background is indeed transparent, the selected area is the only image that will be dragged to the Canvas you are working on.  Within the checkerboard area there are no pixels to drag, it's empty.

EDIT:  WOOPS, didn't mean to jump on Elliot's reply.

Gary   

[Dinarius]

Fantastic!

Works a dream! Just what I need.

One last question......

I notice that the new file with the checkerboard pattern background is unflattened. If I flatten it before saving it, the checkerboard pattern reverts to white. Why is this? (I have no problem saving an unflattened file if I have to. I'm just curious.)

Thanks all! 

D.

[Garnick]

Fantastic!

Works a dream! Just what I need.

One last question......

I notice that the new file with the checkerboard pattern background is unflattened. If I flatten it before saving it, the checkerboard pattern reverts to white. Why is this? (I have no problem saving an unflattened file if I have to. I'm just curious.)

Thanks all! 

When you flatten the file PS immediately creates a Background Layer, which is filled with image forming pixels, even though there seems to be no image except the one created from your previous selection.  Hence the white background.  If you feel you might want those those files again in the same manner you have described you should really save them as a transparent background.  However, if you do flatten the background will indeed be white, so it's an easy task to select the main object simply by using the Magic Wand tool on the background and then inverting the selection to the main object.  Then CRT/Command + J to once again create a separate layer with the object on a transparent background.

Gary

[elliot_n]

If you're working with a lot of files, it will be fiddly opening them all and dragging layers into your master document. Instead, save all the individual files into a folder, and then in Photoshop use Files > Scripts > Load Files into Stack. Photoshop will then create your master document automatically. Increase the canvas size, and then start moving the files into place.