Though you may initially not think so, cutting out a picture or portrait in Photoshop is actually very simple. And fortunately, by following the easy steps below, this can be done with any photo, whether there are other objects in the background or not. In fact, even if your photo‘s face is obscured, you can quickly and easily fill in the missing elements via the Clone Stamp Tool and the Liquify Filter. So, if you’re looking to cutout some photos and learn more about the Photoshop program in the process, then be sure to keep on reading!

Learn how to Cut Out An Object Without Having Background. This is probably one of the most asked questions regarding Photoshop, and a very good one too. Photoshop toolbox photoshop tutorial photoshop tutorials photoshop workspace picture png psd quick selection tool reflected text reflected words reflections reflections text reflective.

Step 1: Choose The Picture You Want To Have Cutout, And Then Open The Appropriate File

First things first, you‘re going to want to open the file of the photo you are wanting to use and get a sense of what part you‘re wanting to cut out.

NOTE: Like mentioned above, if there are obstructions or other things in the way of the part you want to cut out, be sure to use the Clone Stamp Tool or Liquify Filter to fill in the obscurities with colors similar to that of the actual image. You can even sample different colors and effects to see how they would look before moving forward.

Step 2: Select The Picture That You Would Like To Use With The Quick Selection Tool

Now it‘s time to select the image you’re wanting to cut out, and as most experienced Photoshop users already know, the easiest way to do that is with the Quick Selection Tool.

NOTE: If the tones too closely resemble one another, it is recommended you use the Lasso Tool instead of the Quick Selection Tool. Just make sure that the entire object is selected and that you are not missing or leaving out any parts of the image you want cut out.

Step 3: Copy And Paste Your Selection, And Use The Background Layer To Hide It

Something very important that you certainly want to make sure of when doing this, is to properly hide your selection by using the Eye icon and Background Layer. The Background Layer is located in the Layers panel, and as soon as the object is on it‘s own, separate layer, you should be all set!

Step 4: Erase The Background

The next step is to erase the background behind the photo you‘ve cut out. This is not only very important, but fortunately, it is also very easy! You‘ll need to click on the Quick Selection Tool to start this, and then press delete to remove the parts of the background you‘ve chosen. You can also use the Eraser Tool, which is great for manually erasing certain parts of your project – a great choice for those who are accurate with their hands.

Step 5: Use The Clone Stamp Tool

Now, you are going to want to use the Clone Stamp Tool (found within your Photoshop toolbox) to take samples and drag the tool over any missing elements. To do this, simply Alt-click the area you are wanting to sample, and then start dragging things over. You can fill in any parts of the photo you‘d like and also sample as many times as needed.

NOTE: After your first batch of clone stamping, make sure to run a “double check”, and fill in any remaining areas.

As you will see when doing this project, certain areas aren‘t too easy to cover up. So, it is highly recommend that you get creative with the Clone Stamp Tool, in an attempt to fill in any parts that have yet to be hidden. In fact, by simply drawing enough samples with this tool and dragging over enough new pieces, you can have your cut out filled in very well.

NOTE: Make sure to take your time on this. Though you‘re probably in a rush to see your finished product, taking the time to properly fill in all of your missing pieces is very beneficial.

Step 6: Use The Liquify Filter To Reshape Certain Parts Of Your Cutout

For any parts of your cutout that were too difficult to erase in the previous steps, it is suggested that you try and reshape them, in hopes that they will hide themselves from the forefront of your project. To do this, you can use the Liquify Filter, which is located under the Filter menu, and is great for the shaping and reshaping of elements.

NOTE: You can continue to shape and reshape as needed until you are fully satisfied with your project, by using the Transform options, located under the Edit tab atop your Photoshop screen.

Here's how to create a 3D cutout text effect with Photoshop Elements. This effect makes text appear as though it is punched out of a surface. In this tutorial, you will work with layers, the horizontal type selection tool, and layer style effects.

Start with a New document using the Web preset. New > Blank File > Web minimum.

Note

This tutorial also works the current version of Photoshop Elements -- Photoshop Elements 15

Create a New Solid Fill Layer

Create a new layer solid color fill layer from the adjustment layer button on the layers palette.

Choose white for the new layer color.

Make a Type Selection

Select the Horizontal Type Mask tool by clicking the Text tool and then clicking the type mask tool in the toolbox, which reveals additional type tools.

Click inside the document and type some text. The text will show as white on a pink background because this is really a type selection we are creating and the masked area is shown with a red overlay.

Highlight over the text to select it, then choose a bold font and a large font size (around 150 pixels).

When you are happy with the type selection, click the green checkmark to apply it. The red overlay will become a 'marching ants' marquee.

Delete the Type Selection

Press delete on the keyboard to 'punch out' the text selection from the top layer, then Deselect or use the keyboard command Ctrl + D.

Apply a Drop Shadow

Go to the Effects palette (Window > Effects if it is not showing) and click the second icon for layer styles, then set the menu to show drop shadows.

Double click on the drop shadow style low to apply it.

If you can't find the drop shadow style, try Layer > Layer Style > Style Settings and select Drop Shadow. When the dialog box opens set a lighting Angle as well as Size, Distance and Opacity for the Drop Shadow. When finished click OK.

The objective of a Drop Shadow is to show elevation. In this case, the shadow will be used to give the text an Embossed effect. In either case, subtly should be your goal. Just keep in mind the higher the object casting the shadow is above a surface the larger and fainter (opacity) it is on the edges.

This technique is remarkably similar to creating a 'cast shadow' in Photoshop.

Customize the Effect Style

You can stop here or you can double-click on the FX icon on the layers palette to customize the drop shadow appearance. You may want to change the lighting angle, or size, distance and opacity of the shadow.

Change the Background Color

If desired, fill the background with another color by clicking it in the layers palette and going to Edit > Fill or using the paint bucket tool.