Clipping Path

[fifeclub]

I appologize up front for getting termonology wrong. I've been using Photoshop for years for just the basics but I'm just now starting to learn all the "advanced" features.

I don't understand how to use clipping paths. Can somebody spell it out for me?

Whenever I had an image where I wanted to cutout the object (separate the foreground object from the background) I used to just erase or delete everything around the object. But I'm told a better way to do this task is to use a clipping path. The big advantage over the way I used to do it is that it will not destroy the original image.

Now I know how to create vector shapes. And I read the online Adobe help about clipping path. Problem is it didn't work. I'll asume I screwed it up, but basically it said to create a path, then save the path... then nothing. All I get is a funny blue shape covering my foreground object. How do I make that vector image ("path") define the edges of my layer so all else will "see thru" to the layer underneath it. Hopefully that all made sense. How do I do this?

Thanks so much.

[Cone Graff]

Clipping paths is usualy used for making transeparent eps files for printing, but are of course also used to do manipulations in images.

The reason why you get a blue shape instead of a path, is because shapes has been turned on. in your upper left corner, you'll see 3 buttons, click the middle one ;)


Clipping paths is good for masking because you can control the path in almost any way you want, even after you've done the path.
Try make a point, then make another point, now you can move the last point around with the arrows on your keyboard, to get get a real close masking.

Just a small example on how you can use the tool :)

[fifeclub]

I must not even be on the right track then. I can remove the blue fill and be left with the path but either way it still isn't "cutting" my view of the image layer below it.

I should probably just start from scratch on figuring this out. I've seen the thread that lists 101 tutorials, but does anybody know of any good step by step directions on how to use a path to determine the viewable portion(s) of another layer?

:(

[fifeclub]

:)

I don't know if I did it the right way but I got it to work at least once. I think what I wanted to do was called "Add Vector Mask". So if that's what I wanted to do... then what does clipping path mean? (Not that it matters anymore but I'm curious what the difference was)

[Koobi]

sorry to go off topic but CONE, do clipping paths have any advantage over the extract tool or the mask tool(which can also be controlled anyway you want after applying them)
I just havent used it so i was wondering, let me know pls :)

[FrankieBonesOSW]

clipping paths are good because they can be embedded when saved as a photoshop eps. They are also good because they can be made with the pen tool, so you have lots of control and can get some really good edges. But, if you are using it for photo manipulation, to cut out parts of images that is, then you really aren't using "clipping paths" you are just using the pen tool to make a selection around an image. If you turn the path into a clipping path, save it as an .eps, then open it is quark or illustrator, it opens as the cut out image. To make a clipping path, you make a new path in the path menu and name it, then make the path with the pen tool, then clip the little triangle circle thing in the path menu, and choose make clipping path, then you have to pick what path you want to make it out of. then save it as an .eps and yadda yadda. but to use it as a selection to cut it out, after making the path with the pen tool, you go to the triangle thing again and click the "make selection from path" selection. Then you can drag and cut out and whatever with the selection. I wonder if that made any sense?

[Koobi]

made sense, thx :)

[coloredbean]

If you happen to be using the image in another Adobe product, such as Illustrator or InDesign, then both of them support native Photoshop documents - transparency and all! I've been sending files containing PSDs to my printer for awhile now, and they've output great. This might not be universally true, but it's definitely worth checking. The only problem with Clipping paths is that they only support one level of transparency - either transparent, or not. With PSDs, anything that shows as transparent in the psd, shows up transparent in Illustrator and InDesign. It rocks!

[cpsseo]

Its quite an easy task but you have to try it for a quite long period of time before you become expert on it. Here is a tutorial that shows how to draw clipping path for the beginners: http://clippingpathspecialist.com/clipping-path-tutorial.html
I hope that helps.