[PrintShare] graphics dept question - cutting out backgrounds

[John Zachry]

Doug,
Photoshop is the tool to use, NOT InDesign.
Use either the Lasso tool or my favorite, the magnetic lasso tool or  
the Magic Wand tool to select the area (or person) you want to save.  
Go to Select in your menu bar and then "Inverse" and hit delete. This  
gets rid of your background. You may have to rasterize the layer if  
it won't let you delete.
There is also a quick-mask, which you can go to your "help" area of  
photoshop to learn all about.
I also remember a vendor at MacWorld in San Francisco who had a plug- 
in that does exactly what you are describing... but can't remember  
the name.
If all else fails, join NAPP, National Association of Photoshop  
Professionals. (well worth the $99. membership). Or go to a  
Kelbytraining course if one comes to your area. You can also download  
photoshopTV shows and watch them on your iPhone to learn more tricks.

good luck
John
On May 1, 2008, at 6:22 AM, Douglas Sandoz wrote:
> *** This is a PrintShare List Message ***
>
> Hopefully I will be wording this correctly. If any of you want to  
> change
> my wording, please do so. (I am a CSR and mostly estimate and order
> stock and supplies)
>
> Whenever our graphics department gets a job where we need to cut  
> someone
> or something out of a photo they are using the "lasso" tool from
> InDesign and manually cutting around the objects to place them on a
> white background. I notice in a lot of newspaper and magazine ads
> (professional designed by graphics companies) where they might have  
> 3 or
> 4 people (doctors in a hospital ad, or bankers in a banking ad) that
> look like they are standing on a white page with no background, yet  
> they
> are smooth (every hair shows on their head (if they have hair!)).
>
> I have also seen in restaurants like chilis where the menu showed the
> dishes are smooth with a colored background. I have photographed  
> food in
> a restaurant with a white smooth background on the original photograph
> but our design dept. uses that "lasso" to cut around the plates and is
> not as professional as the chili's, ruth's chris, etc.
>
> Anyone know how to do this?
>
> Doug Sandoz
> Andrepont Printing
> Opelousas, LA
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