Photoshop Tutorial: How to Cut and Put Images on a Transparent Background

In this tutorial you will learn how to cut PSD images. First off what is cutting an image? And secondly, what is PSD? That's simple!

Cutting an image simply means removing the original background so that the focus of the canvas is just one object. The benefit of using a cut image is being able to place the image on any background you so choose. This is a great technique to learn when using images on websites or creating web design. In addition, you can also use cut images on sigs, banners, and icons with out dealing with useless or dull backgrounds.

A PSD is not a difficult concept to learn either. PSD is simply Photoshop's special image (or photo) format. Many people have heard of JPEG (which is the most common format) or GIF formats. Most images on the internet are in JPEG format. You can see this if you find an image on google image search and right click to save it. Your computer will automatically save the image as JPEG. PSD formatted images usually work better in Photoshop, so this is the format we will be using in this tutorial. But why? Well, because transparent images work best in PSD format, especially in Adobe Photoshop.

So to start with, you will need to select an image to work with. Make sure the image will be easy to work with. You can use your own photo, or one from a free stock site such as www.sxc.hu. You can use a color or black and white images. If you are more of an advanced Photoshop user, you can even use vector images.

Step 1) Open up your picture as a canvas in Photoshop. Always make sure the image is saved so you have the original to refer back to.

Step 2) On your keyboard, hold down CRTL+A to select the entire image.

Step 3) Next, hold down CTRL+C.

Step 4) Then go to File> New. This will make a copy of the image but with a background that is transparent. The image will also stay the same size. Click OK after.

Step 5) Hold down CRTL+V to then paste the image.

Step 6) Now you will work with the Polygon Lasso Tool, located on the vertical menu bar. Drag the tool around the part of the image you want to cut out and then hit the Delete key. If you end up deleting the wrong part, go to Select> Inverse to change the selection. This will allow you to cut the correct part.

Step 7) You will now need to deselect the area. Hold down CRTL+D.

Step 8) Choose the eraser tool and set it to a large size with a hardness of about 80-100.

Step 9) Zoom in close to the edges of the pictures and erase the unwanted areas that were not deleted in the previous steps. This will insure a better end product.

Step 10) Now save the image in PSD format and you're done with a perfectly cut image!