There are many ways to cut out photos in Photoshop, and different pictures have different cutout methods. Below, the author recommends one of the most commonly used and most effective methods to everyone - the channel cutout method. The Photoshop CS version used in this example. Please refer to other versions.
For pictures with neat edges and strong color contrast, you can use the Photoshop magic wand or path tool to cut out the image. But for characters with long hair, it is best to use the channel cutout method. The focus of the channel cutout method is to use the channel information of the image itself to select the parts that need to be cut out.
Comparison of before and after effects
1. Start Photoshop, import the image you want to process, click the "Pen" tool, and set the properties.
Outline the main body of the person in the picture. Be careful not to get the broken hair caught in it, as it will be specially processed later.
Tip: When using the "pen" tool to draw the picture, move it slightly inward so that there will be no edges in the final product.
2. Select "Window → Path" to open the "Path" panel. At this time, you will find that there is an additional "Working Path" in the Path panel. Click the "Load Path as Selection" button to convert the closed path into a selection.
3. Select "Window → Layer" to open the layer panel, click on the "Background" layer, right-click, and click the "Copy Layer" command to create a new "Background Copy". Select "Background Copy" and click the "Add Layer Mask" button.
Tip: Layer masks have the advantage of being easy to change and not destroying the original layer.
4. Select "Window → Channel" to open the "Channel" panel, drag the "green" channel to the "New" button under the channel panel, and make a copy.
Tip: In principle, you should choose a channel with a large contrast between light and dark for copy processing. The "blue" channel of this image has a greater contrast between light and dark than the "green" channel. However, due to image quality reasons, the "blue" channel is lost, which will affect the final cutout. Effect, if the image is of very high quality, the "blue" channel is the best choice.
5. Click "Green Copy" and press the shortcut key Ctrl+L to adjust the color levels. Pull the black slider on the left to the right and the white slider on the right to the left. This will reduce the midtone part and increase the value. Shadows and highlights separate the hair from the background.
6. Press the shortcut key Ctrl+I to invert the "Green Copy" channel, click the "Brush" tool, and set the properties.
Use a black paintbrush to paint the outside of the hair (that is, the areas that don't need to be selected) black, and then use a white paintbrush to paint the desired areas in the hair white.
7. Click the "Load Channel as Selection" button on the "Channel" panel to get the "green copy" selection.
8. Return to the "Layer" panel and double-click the "Background Layer" to change it to a normal "Layer 0".
9. Click the "Add Layer Mask" button to add a layer mask to "Layer 0".
This beautiful girl is separated from this picture.
Tip: If there is a bad connection between the subject and the hair, you can use a black brush to process the mask. This is why I chose the layer mask at that time.
All the work is done here, now you can paste the cut out MM into any background.
Tip: When changing the background for MM, pay attention to whether the direction of the background light source and the character's lighting direction are consistent to ensure coordination and not look stiff.