How to cut out an image in Photoshop

The Magic Wand Tool in Photoshop is powerful for quickly selecting areas with similar colors or tones. It’s an excellent choice for cut out images with distinct backgrounds. In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through the process of how to cut out an image in Photoshop using the Magic Wand Tool to cut out an image step by step.

Step 1: Open Your Image

1. Launch Adobe Photoshop and open the image you want to work on.
2. Duplicate the background layer to keep the original intact (Right-click on the layer and select “Duplicate Layer”).

Step 2: Select the Magic Wand Tool

1. From the left-hand toolbar, select the Magic Wand Tool. You can also press the keyboard shortcut “W” to activate it.
2. Adjust the Tolerance setting in the top toolbar. A higher tolerance selects a broader range of colors, while a lower tolerance selects similar colors more precisely.

Step 3: Make the Initial Selection

1. Click on an area of the background that you want to remove. The Magic Wand Tool will select adjacent pixels with similar colors.
2. To add more areas to your selection, hold down the Shift key and click on those areas.
3. If you accidentally select too much, hold down the Alt key (Option key on Mac) and click to deselect specific areas.

Step 4: Refine the Selection

1. Once you have a rough selection, go to “Select” > “Refine Edge.” This opens the Refine Edge dialog box.
2. Use the Radius slider to soften the edges of your selection. This helps to prevent a harsh transition between the cutout and the background.
3. Adjust the other settings like Smooth, Feather, and Contrast to fine-tune the selection’s edges and make them look more natural.

Step 5: Cut Out the Image

1. With your refined selection still active, press “Ctrl + J” (Windows) or “Command + J” (Mac) to create a new layer with just the selected object.

Step 6: Clean Up the Background

1. Hide the original background layer and add a new layer beneath the cutout. Fill this layer with a solid color or a new background image.

Step 7: Final Adjustments

1. Position and resize the cutout on the new background as needed.
2. To blend the cutout with the new background, add adjustment layers like “Brightness/Contrast” or “Hue/Saturation.” Clip them to the cutout layer by right-clicking the adjustment layer and selecting “Create Clipping Mask.”

Step 8: Save Your Work

1. Save your edited image as a Photoshop file (PSD) to keep the layers and edits for future modifications.
2. Export the final image as a JPEG or PNG for sharing or use.

Tips for Success:

• Tolerance Experimentation: Depending on the image, try different tolerance levels to see which works best.
• Refine Edge Precision: Spend time adjusting the settings in the Refine Edge dialog to achieve a seamless cutout.
• Layer Masks: Add layer masks to hide any remaining unwanted elements non-destructively.

The Magic Wand Tool can be incredibly efficient for images with well-defined edges and color contrasts, but the pen tool is the best background removal method. Combining the Magic Wand Tool with other selection methods like the Quick Selection Tool or the Pen Tool can yield even better results for more complex images.