Photomontage was born almost simultaneously with the appearance of the first photographs. To create such works, one had to resort to various tricks. For example, cut out the desired fragment with scissors, stick it on the photo, retouch and reshoot. Today, all these actions can be done in Photoshop with just a few clicks. In this article, we will show you how to cut and paste an object in Photoshop.
How does this operation differ in different versions of Adobe Photoshop
All the examples below will run in the latest versions of Photoshop CC. However, they are also suitable for earlier versions of Adobe Photoshop.
In order to learn how to cut and move an object in Photoshop, it is better to choose an image on a black background for experiments.
Select background
When in Adobe Photoshop cut out someor an object, then a "hole" is obtained. It is automatically filled with the background color. It is obvious that such a result cannot be considered satisfactory when it comes to removing from the photograph the figure of a horse captured against the background of a field and sky. In our case, it is enough to choose black color - and the result will be perfect. To set it as a background, you need to click on the lower colored square located below the icons with tools to the left of the working window. A palette window will open. In it you need to select a black square and click "OK".
Highlight: option one
Before you cut out an object in Photoshop, you need to tell the program which part of the original image is in question. To do this, Photoshop uses different tools. Since the simplest case is being considered so far, we will choose “Quick Selection”. This tool is useful in cases where the color of the cut out object differs significantly from the color of the background, as the program will automatically recognize and separate their pixels.
After you click on the "Quick Selection", the cursor will look like a circle with a cross in the center. Now you can click on the object until it is fully selected. If you accidentally "captured" the background, then you need to click on it with the left button of the computer mouse while holding down the Alt key. In order to make the selection more precise, you can use the button to reduce the size of the brush located at the top. It is hidden behind an icon in the form of a dark dot with numbers. In addition, you can usethe Refine Edge button. By clicking on it, in the window that appears, check the box next to "Smart Radius", and move the "Radius" slider to the right up to a value of 10 pixels. As soon as the result is satisfactory, you must click the "OK" button.
Movement
If you need to cut an object in "Photoshop" in order to then paste it on another fragment of the same image, then this is quite simple. You need to select the "Move" tool, the icon of which is located at the top, in the left part of the working window. Then hover over the selected object. Hold down the left mouse button and drag it to the desired location.
Correction
No matter how carefully you cut out an object in Photoshop, traces of its outline may remain on the image.
To prevent this from happening, you must do the following:
- after the object is selected, you need to right-click on it with the computer mouse;
- in the context menu window that appears, select "Cut to new layer";
- go to the Layers panel;
- click on the eye icon next to the new layer.
As a result, the object will be temporarily hidden, and only the background layer will be displayed on the screen. It will be possible to erase the remains of the contour from it using the Eraser tool. To cope with this task faster, you need to increase the size of the brush (see above). Then the cursor, which has taken the form of a circle, needs to be driven over that placethe image where the object was by holding the left mouse button until the background turns black.
After completing the removal of traces of the contour, you need to:
- go to the Layers panel;
- turn on object layer.
If done right, the result is perfect.
Selecting an object: second option
As already mentioned, in order to learn how to cut out an object in Photoshop, we have specially chosen the most primitive case with an image of an object on a smooth black background. But what if we are talking about a photo with a portrait of a person taken against the backdrop of an urban or forest landscape? Consider how in this case you need to use Photoshop to remove the figure of a young man (see example below) and paste it on another image. In order to successfully cope with such a task, those who want to learn how to cut and save an object in Photoshop should be patient.
For best results, use the Magnetic Lasso tool. To cut out a human figure with it, you need:
- zoom in to 100%;
- click on the outline of the selected shape to make the first marker appear;
- move the cursor along the silhouette line (new marker squares will appear along the way).
If the image is not clear, the selection may be incorrect. To correct this state of affairs, you can put markers on your own. To do this, click the leftmouse button. Be careful when doing this, otherwise the last marker will automatically connect to the first one.
When the procedure is completed, the outline will turn into a moving dotted line.
How to delete a segment inside a selected path
Very often, especially when it comes to a human figure, there may be areas with a background on the marked area of the photo. For example, between a hand in a pants pocket and the torso.
This area needs to be removed from the selection. You will have to use the same tool "Magnetic Lasso". To do this:
- hold down the Alt key;
- left-click on the silhouette of an extraneous segment on the image;
- highlight it in the same way as before the human figure.
Edge refinement
Surely everyone has seen photoshops or works on the Internet, the authors of which are ironically called "Photoshop" geniuses by the people. Most often, they depict a person against the backdrop of a landmark that he wants to see, or with a celebrity that he is unlikely to ever meet. As a rule, such photos are made so clumsily that it is difficult not to notice a fake and believe that this is a real image.
So that your photo collages do not become the butt of jokes of friends, before cutting out an object in Photoshop CS6, you should master the technique of refining its edges. To do this, select the appropriate tool and remove from the selectedsilhouette of a man all extraneous fragments. To do this, check the "Smart radius" item and increase its value, for example, up to 5 pixels. In addition, you should set the amount of smoothing. In a specific case, it is better to select it equal to 100% and complete the actions by pressing the OK button.
How to cut and paste an object in Photoshop
If the selected silhouette suits you completely, you can start creating a photo collage from this and other images.
To achieve this goal you need:
- click on an object with the right mouse button;
- select "Cut to new layer" in the context menu;
- go to the Layers panel;
- open a new image, which should become the basis of a photo collage, in Adobe Photoshop;
- on the Layers panel, move the cursor over the layer with the object that was selected;
- click and hold the left mouse button;
- drag this layer onto the open picture, which should become the basis of the collage.
How to shrink a cut object in Photoshop
It often turns out that a fragment moved from the original photo looks like an alien spot on the final image, for example, due to a size mismatch. If the figure is too large, you need to reduce it. To do this, select any tool belonging to the selection group and right-click on the silhouette. Then, in the context menu, you need to click on the "Free Transform" item. Then aroundshape, a frame will appear with several markers, through which you can rotate the object, as well as change its size. The easiest way to reduce the figure is with the help of corner markers. However, you must hold down the Shift key while doing this. Otherwise, the image's height-to-width ratio will not be maintained. The same mode also helps to move the object. To perform this action, you need to place the cursor closer to its center, and then hold down the left mouse button and release it when the selected shape is in the right place. At the end of all actions, the second left-click on the object is made.
How to remove the background
In some cases it is better to do the opposite. Consider how to cut an object without a background in Photoshop. In this case, it will not need to be moved. Instead, it will be enough to replace the background. To do this, perform the actions "Select" and "Invert". Then perform the operations "Editing" and "Cut". As a result, the background is painted in the selected background color.
If you want to move an object to another place, you need to use the "Move" tool. However, you should first go to the "Layers" panel and make a second click on the "Background" button.
Now you know how to reduce the size of the cut object in Photoshop, move it on the same photo or paste it on another. We hope this helps you create beautiful photo collages.
