This means that the blur is applied most densely at the center of the brush and barely at all at the edge, so that the transition between blurred and non-blurred areas of the mask is smooth. In the Options Bar, click the Brush Preset picker and set the brush size to 100 pixels with a hardness of 0 percent.
It’s an effective way to deal with objects that have multiple levels of blurring (i.e., a watering can whose spout and handle extend out of focus in opposite directions). Next, why not check out our tutorial on using the displacement map in Photoshop.This technique can be used to selectively soften the edges of your mask. Start with uniform backgrounds and then move on to the busy and colourful ones. The background affects how difficult making the selection will be. Practice with subjects on different backgrounds. There’s no better way to select hair or fur than using the Refine Edge tool in Photoshop. But as long as you have a clean selection, you shouldn’t have any problems using the Refine Edge Tool at all. So you’ll need to go in and manually adjust the details for a more precise selection. The only issue is that your selection tools will have a difficult time selecting the edges of your subject. Using the Refine Edges tool in Photoshop for busy backgrounds requires the same steps.
#HOW TO FEATHER EDGES IN PHOTOSHOP CC HOW TO#
How to Select Objects in Busy Backgrounds It allows you to edit the section even further without losing the original photo.Īnd here’s the result of using Refine Edge in Photoshop on another background. Usually, New Layer with Layer Mask is the best option. Select one of the output options to finalise the selections. This step is necessary when your subject is against a contrasting colour background. Step 5: Output Your Selectionīefore you output, you can check Decontaminate Colors to remove colour fringe. It would help a lot if you allow the Refine Edge Tool to see the “edge” better by creating a precise selection.
Now you might be asking, why not let Refine Edge Tool do the job? If your selection is too rough, it may end up creating inaccurate samples. Make sure you make your selection as precise as possible. Now hold the Alt (or Option) key and click around the section you want to remove. Hold the Shift key and click around a section you want to add. Now choose between the Lasso, Polygonal, and the Magnetic Lasso to create a selection. If you still have trouble getting a precise selection, then it’s time to use the Lasso tool.įirst, press OK to get out of the Select and Mask box. And press Alt+left click to remove details you don’t want to include. Press Shift+left click to add areas to your selection. The first tool you’ll need is the Quick Selection Tool, which you’ll find in the Select and Mask box. So what if the Refine Edge tool fails to make a precise selection? If so, then you’ll need to refine your selection. Move the Shift Edge left or right to shrink or expand the selection. The Contrast slider adds more definition to your edge. The Feather slider helps to blend the selection more into its eventual background. In my example, I used this slider to smoothen the edges of the hair. Keep it low because it takes away from your selection. Use the four other sliders in the Refine Edge window to get the best and most natural result: Increase the value of the slider to make the edges of the selection softer and more natural.įor the most part, the Radius determines the final result.
Y the most when refining edges in Photoshop. There are still grey areas in the hair, and the edges are rough.
The selection in my example is OK but far from perfect. Use different modes to learn which work best for the selection you want to make. In my case, the white background is perfect to see the selection and what I’m doing. Select a view mode of Refine Edge, depending on the colours of the photo you are using. But here’s what you need to do:įirst, go to Select in the menu and click on ‘ Select and Mask…’ Where is Refine Edge in Photoshop? This feature can be difficult to find, especially after the recent updates. The selection doesn’t have to be perfect, but make sure not to leave out large parts. But you can also try the Magic Wand Tool and the Object Selection Tool. Start with making a rough selection of your subject. I’ll use this photo to photoshop the smooth edges of the girl and remove the background. Keep away from images with busy backgrounds until you’ve got the hang of it. Pictures with a uniform background are perfect for practising with the Refine Edge tool. It’s best to pick a simple image if you want to learn how photoshop smooth edges.