Clipping Path from Selection in Photoshop

[joe_gibb]

Hi,

I have a lot of images I need to make clipping paths for. I've been using the wand to select the background (they're sharp images on a white background) and then selecting inverse, making a work path, saving that path, then selecting that path as a clipping path. When I save the selection as a path it isn't as 'tight' as the selection even with the tolerance set to 0.5 pixels.

Is there a better way to do it, or do I have to go back to actually drawing the paths with the pen tool?

Thanks.

[macstudent]

Drawing the paths is the best way to do it. After a while you get a lot better at it.

[jayscheuerle]

Just out of curiosity, what do you need clipping paths for? (I know what they're used for, but what's YOUR use?)

[primalman]

I've actually had better luck setting the device flatness to 8 rather than a lower number, at least for print work.

[aricher]

I recommend getting a Wacom tablet - you can hand draw paths in no time with that puppy. After sing a tablet I can barely path or draw with a mouse anymore - everything becomes second nature. I agree with Macstudent - draw the paths yourself or clean up the "convert to path" outlines. you'll never get a really great path with "convert to paths."

[Blue Velvet]

If it was me and time was of the essence, and I had clean easily-made selections from white backgrounds, then I'd save them as alpha channels and save the files as LZW TIFs.

File size, schmile size.

[joe_gibb]

Originally Posted by primalman

I've actually had better luck setting the device flatness to 8 rather than a lower number, at least for print work.

I'll try increasing the flatness and see how that works. Otherwise I guess I'll just have to use the Pen Tool for the moment.

Thanks for the input guys.

[jayscheuerle]

Joe, is there a reason you can't use alpha channels? Are you putting it in a Quark document?

[iGav]

Originally Posted by aricher

I recommend getting a Wacom tablet - you can hand draw paths in no time with that puppy. After sing a tablet I can barely path or draw with a mouse anymore - everything becomes second nature.

Bingo there's just something fundamentally wrong with designers using mouses.

Originally Posted by jayscheuerle

is there a reason you can't use alpha channels?

That was going to be my suggestion too.

Originally Posted by joe_gibb

Is there a better way to do it

yep... buy KnockOut 2 Photoshop's stock masking abilities are frankly sh*t.

[joe_gibb]

Hi jayscheuerle,

I guess I don't really need to use clipping paths, so I tried your suggestion using alpha channels and it works very well. I think be using them from now on and ditch the clipping paths unless I'm exporting to Quark or something.

[Blue Velvet]

Originally Posted by joe_gibb

Hi jayscheuerle,

I guess I don't really need to use clipping paths, so I tried your suggestion using alpha channels and it works very well. I think be using them from now on and ditch the clipping paths unless I'm exporting to Quark or something.

Ahem... I'll take the credit for that suggestion.

[jayscheuerle]

Originally Posted by joe_gibb

Hi jayscheuerle,

I guess I don't really need to use clipping paths, so I tried your suggestion using alpha channels and it works very well. I think be using them from now on and ditch the clipping paths unless I'm exporting to Quark or something.

I don't know how familiar you are with using alpha channels, but you can often find one grey scale color channel (either the R, G, B or C, M, Y, K) that offers the greatest contrast between your object and the background can be duped and used as a starting point for a transparency alpha channel.

OR invest in something like Knockout Pro.

[joe_gibb]

Originally Posted by Blue Velvet

Ahem... I'll take the credit for that suggestion.

I'm terribly sorry Blue Velvet, you did mention it first

Joe.

[Espnetboy3]

What is the main point of using alpha channels and or clipping paths or masking? I was never really sure as to when one would apply these techniques.

[jayscheuerle]

Originally Posted by Espnetboy3

What is the main point of using alpha channels and or clipping paths or masking? I was never really sure as to when one would apply these techniques.

usually to separate an element from its background.

[mkrishnan]

If you do end up wanting to do it the way you do now, for some reason, wouldn't the magnetic lasso (hehehe I think of wonder woman every time I think of that tool...lalala, I'm such a 'tard) be a much better choice than the wand? It will give you a very well defined path, rather than having fuzz on it.