Extracing an Image I

Difficulty Level: Low/Beginner

Putting a photo into another photo is the most used "technique" I see. It is most commonly used for jokes, small graphics, or designing wallpapers. The possibilities are truly endless.

Let us start with something easy that has minimal details. Normally removing a background from an image is the longest part of a project (or rather the most tedious). This is the image I will be using to walk you through. I will explain two methods of extracting this image, the first will be the cheaper way -- but in this case, it works.

As you can see, it has a very plain background. In this case, grab the Magic Eraser tool from your toolbar (right click on the eraser, it's the 3rd one in the list that pops up). Take the eraser to the white background and click once, you'll notice how all the white on the background disappears until it hits the gradient. Do the same to the lower part of the image. This should be close to what you see.

Here you can do two different things, 1) Grab the Lasso Tool and cut away the remaining pixels surrounding the image, or 2) Use the normal Eraser to brush away the remaining pixels. The Lasso Tool is best for tight spots with very little pixels to work with, while the eraser is just if your used to the brushing feel.

Extracting an Image II

Difficulty Level: Low/Beginner

The second way is my prefered method. Take the Lasso Tool and zoom in (ctrl + 0 (zero) to zoom in, repeat to zoom in more) close to the photo -- about 500% (or pressing ctrl + 0 five times) is what I stay at. This way, you see the individual pixels and have the most precise extraction humanly possible.

Before you go deleting pixels, make sure you are erasing to transparency. Duplicate the layer you want extracted, then delete the background and original image: leaving you with the copy you just made via duplicating.

Now we can start deleting! :D With your Lasso Tool, get up as close as you can to the outline of the image, and try to not jump around so it stays smooth. Don't worry about this too much though, the Lasso Tool auto-aligns to the pixels once you close it. Finally, bring it back around and close the selection as such. Then hit ctrl + x to cut the pixels away. It should look something like this. Do this until you have completely cut away all of the background.

That's pretty much it. For a beginner and most experienced users there will be jaggy and/or left over pixels. Cleaning an Image will explain how to make your extraction crisp and clean around the outlines.