Removing background with “Extract” Filter in Photoshop CS4 and lower

Inspired by m81170 post “Cutting out the Hair”

Making the perfect cut can be a real pain in the ass, if you know what I mean. Especially when you are a beginner and have no clue what tool does what and how it exactly works.

So today we are gonna learn how to use “Extract” Filter and make a “perfect” cut.

(If you are a PS CS 5 user, you have nothing to do here you lucky ! Just click the fallowing link  and be done with the day!)

•    Step 1
Open up this photo of da Pretty in PS and duplicate the layer by hitting Ctrl/Comand + J and select the layer copy.

•    Step 2
Go Filters – Extract and the Extract filter window will pop up.

If by any chance you don’t have an Extract filter, follow these download links for the optional plug-ins download for PS CS 4
Mac Download:
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=4047

Windows Download:
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=4048

(You need to restart Photoshop after installation.)

So let’s view the tools:

•    Step 3
Grab your “Marker” and draw around Rob.

You will need to experiment here. Different brush sizes will give you a different result.

Notice how I didn’t highlight all the way around Rob? It is because certain areas “bleed” off the page and will not need to be selected.
TIP: if you mess up, select the “Eraser” tool in the toolbar, fix the mistake and switch back to “Marker”  tool.

•    Step 4

Select the “Fill” or “Bucket” tool and click inside the area you want to keep/extract.

Then click “OK”. Extract filter will delete the background and create a new layer with only Rob.

On the first look you will probably go “WOW” look at that all the BG is gone and I am done!”

But if we create a new layer under that layer and fill it with a darker color. ..

You will see this.

On closer inspection you will notice that the Extract filter did a mighty good job on the hair, but not so good job above his left hand…or right… see how jagged the edge is in some parts? We will need to fix that.

•    Step 5
Hold down Ctrl/Command key and click on the extracted Rob layer icon in your layer palette to select it. (“running ants” will appear around Rob)

Now select the original layer and add a Layer Mask to it.

Now we will need to edit the mask.

Create a new copy of Original Rob layer and delete the layer mask on that layer copy.
Grab your Pen tool and create a path.

Pen Tool is actually pretty awesome! You can go back and edit the path you created. 
Helpful links:
Basic Controls of the Pen Tool http://www.melissaevans.com/tutorials/how-to-use-photoshops-pen-tool
How to outline an object using Pen Tool in Photoshop http://emptyeasel.com/2008/01/15/how-to-use-the-pen-tool-in-photoshop-a-tutorial-on-outlining-objects/
Photoshop Pen Tool Guide http://www.tutorial9.net/tutorials/photoshop-tutorials/pen-tool-basics-in-photoshop/

Once the path is done, right click somewhere near the path and chose “Make Selection” a dialogue box will pop up

Make sure everything looks like on above picture and click okay.

Now click on the layer mask we added, grab your brush tool, make sure your foreground color is black, and paint away the jagged edges. The brush tool will work only inside the selected area. 

Repeat this step until all the jagged edges are “hidden” but do not touch the hair! Because Extract Filter did a pretty good job there!

Final result.

Looks pretty damn good!

Now let’s add a different background…

AHHH! PRETTEH isn’t it? Now slap some coloring and effect on it and you have a pretty edit with pretty Rob with smooth edges and all of his HAIR is still there! 

 The End