Pen Tool

[Lofty1967]

Hi Guys
Could someone help to advise me on how I can make a 'clean' cut out of this car to put on another image, when I use the pen tool the results are questionable at very best, I cannot see where I am placing the selection due to the lightness of the selection line, help much appreciated.
Regards
Lofty

[Tony W]

Re: Pen Tool

Your choice of Pen tool seem an ideal choice for this subject.

You may find it helpful in seeing where to place your points by duplicating the image and viewing the channels palette while working with the pen tool you can switch between channels selecting the best one for the clearest view where you are working. If needed you could alter the image using Curves or Levels on the dup to allow a better view.

[creativeretouch]

Re: Pen Tool

Well, Adobe is busy thinking about their new business model instead of improving basic tools ... I tried to find the way how to change the color of this path while working but I wasn't succesful. Maybe it is my fault, who knows?

[Lofty1967]

Re: Pen Tool

Thanks for your replies, I will certainly try the advise, not sure what to do after if this does not work, I might have to give up.
Lofty

[Lofty1967]

Re: Pen Tool

As much as I hate to admit this I have given up!!!!!

[Tony W]

Re: Pen Tool

Sorry to hear that Lofty. I have to say that of all the tools in PS this is the one that I find needs lots of time and practice to get right and I still have difficulty with at times.

An alternative that may work for you is to use the quick selection tool to select the car. It will likely pick up more information than you want but if you then copy to a new layer you can start again selecting the bits you do not want to appear.

creativeretouch, its certainly not just you AFAIK there is no way to actually change the path colour while working. Searching for the answer reveals many asking for this facility. What a shame Adobe could not have given us the option to work in the foregroung/background colours - still maybe CS6 or 7 or 8

[Chain]

Re: Pen Tool

That's odd. I see no problem; the pen tool works really well on this photo, doesn't take much time and the path is to me clearly visible when constructing the path (remember to zoom in!). Maybe I'm not understanding what the problem is?

After the path is complete, I would use it as a vector mask and put a solid color background behind it (similar to what you intend to use it on) do find where it needs improving.

Untitled-2.png

As with all Photoshop's tools has the best visibility in dark or light areas, and becomes harder to spot in the middle grays, but it's not a problem here...

[Tony W]

Re: Pen Tool

Very nice example Chain, but you forgot the windows

[Nasturtium]

Re: Pen Tool

the path color can't be changed according to this;
http://forums.adobe.com/message/2635636

BUT you could either-

a- invert the image first before cutting it out
or
b- make an adjustment layer that increases the contrast in the whole image...making the transitions easier to see

HTH

- Nancy

[Lofty1967]

Re: Pen Tool

Hi Guys,
Chain, that is a great selection, can you forward me a quick e-mail on exactly how you got it so concise? (Like how fare you zoomed in etc etc)
It would be highly appreciated.
Lofty.

[Chain]

Re: Pen Tool

I zoomed in to 2-400%. Klick and drag to create a point (then hold alt to 'break' it if it is a corner). Click and drag where I want the next point. Click and drag where I want the next point. Click and drag where I want the next point. Click and drag where I want the next point.... You get the idea

One "curve" on the car requires about two points (see the image I uploaded to get an idea of where to place the points). Each handle stretch roughly 1/3 of the way to the next point (as a rule of thumb).

After making the entire path, I put it on a white background and deselected the mask (in the layers panel) so that I could see the result. If the edge was a bit off in places (e.g. 1 px of background showing), then I took the white selection tool and moved the points in a bit (use the arrow keys).

[creativeretouch]

Re: Pen Tool

http://www.retouchpro.com/tutorials/pentool/index.html

[Chain]

Re: Pen Tool

That tutorial tells you to click to make corner points, then go back to refine it into a curve. Useful to know you can do that, but to me that seems very slow as you could instead click-drag when creating each point to make it curved immediately. That would also give a lot fewer points to worry about... To select the frame in that tutorial i would have used min. 4 points - maybe up to 8 max if it was a bit irregular.

Other then that the tutorial was ok, and probably worth a try for beginners.

[SilvaFox]

Re: Pen Tool

Hi Guys
Could someone help to advise me on how I can make a 'clean' cut out of this car to put on another image, when I use the pen tool the results are questionable at very best, I cannot see where I am placing the selection due to the lightness of the selection line, help much appreciated.
Regards
Lofty

Photoshop Preferences>Performance>Advanced Settings

Check off the box "Anti-alias Guides and Paths"

Your lasso and pen tool will be (more) normal.

[hawkeye60]

Re: Pen Tool

That tutorial tells you to click to make corner points, then go back to refine it into a curve. Useful to know you can do that, but to me that seems very slow as you could instead click-drag when creating each point to make it curved immediately. That would also give a lot fewer points to worry about... To select the frame in that tutorial i would have used min. 4 points - maybe up to 8 max if it was a bit irregular.

Other then that the tutorial was ok, and probably worth a try for beginners.

I agree, the oval in the tutorial should only take 4 points.

To the original poster, a vector mask from a path is the way to go, it's endlessly ajustable.