# Tips for photoshop and extracting images **URL:** \ **Category:** Uncategorized\ **Created:** [November 23, 2002, 7:09pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/tips-for-photoshop-and-extracting-images/8559 "2002-11-23T19:09:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![yorkshirepuddin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/aeb1de/32.png) [@yorkshirepuddin](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/yorkshirepuddin)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 7:09pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/tips-for-photoshop-and-extracting-images/8559/1 "2002-11-23T19:09:08Z")
Hey guys, Hope your weekend is going good. I’m sat here playing in photoshop _trying_ to achieve some effect with photo extraction etc. While I know how to best extract the parts of the image I want (I’m using the Quick Mask), I do have a few questions. (1) Is it possible to save the mask so I can go back and edit it later? (2) As much as I’m trying, my edges are still a little rough. Any tips for smoothing them out? Any other tips will be welcomed with open arms. Cheers. YP ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 7:17pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/tips-for-photoshop-and-extracting-images/8559/2 "2002-11-23T19:17:30Z")
post a psd so I can see what youre trying to achieve exactly and I’ll definitly give you some advice. Peace ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 7:21pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/tips-for-photoshop-and-extracting-images/8559/3 "2002-11-23T19:21:48Z")
about the mask thing… if you dont apply the mask and just save the entire psd next time you open it it will be there. I guess I am not sure what you mean - as photoshop saves EVERYTHING. Peace ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 7:22pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/tips-for-photoshop-and-extracting-images/8559/4 "2002-11-23T19:22:08Z")
Well I only just started, so I’m only at the extracting phase. Here’s a gif. Cheers. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 7:23pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/tips-for-photoshop-and-extracting-images/8559/5 "2002-11-23T19:23:08Z")
> \*Originally posted by Ryall \* > \*\*about the mask thing… if you dont apply the mask and just save the entire psd next time you open it it will be there. I guess I am not sure what you mean - as photoshop saves EVERYTHING. Peace \*\* Don’t worry … it’s probably just me … usually is! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 8:07pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/tips-for-photoshop-and-extracting-images/8559/6 "2002-11-23T20:07:56Z")
if you want to just have the flower against the white background, this is what i’ve found to help for softening the edges: just use drop shadow, and have the setting so that it is barely seen, but still there enough so that it gifts the illusion of softer edges. having a dark drop shadow would work with a picture like this moreso because the edges of the flower are fairly dark, so it’ll kind of just blend together. maybe try like a distance of 0, spead of 7, and size of 4… i don’t know. this probably isn’t an effect you want added on. this is just something i would do in such a situation. you could also just go along the entire edge with the smudge tool at a low pressure with a small brush… i don’t know :-\ ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 8:17pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/tips-for-photoshop-and-extracting-images/8559/7 "2002-11-23T20:17:20Z")
some great ideas there sonmi … thanks … actually … i just applied the effect i wanted and it hards the harsh edges … although they still need tidying up … see here … a work in progress obviously but getting there … ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 8:28pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/tips-for-photoshop-and-extracting-images/8559/8 "2002-11-23T20:28:03Z")
TIP! After spending LOTS of delicate time extracting an image, save the image properly. Just lost the master of my extraction - have to start again! ☹ Oh well, all experience I suppose! ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 8:53pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/tips-for-photoshop-and-extracting-images/8559/9 "2002-11-23T20:53:10Z")
YP did you just use a patten to do that to the Lilly? It looks **SO** good! Best wishes on it! I can’t wait to see the final result, please post it! ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 8:56pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/tips-for-photoshop-and-extracting-images/8559/10 "2002-11-23T20:56:45Z")
To be honest mdipi, the whole creation was a complete fluke!!! :beam: I just just screwing around and it happened. However, I’m just about to recreate it so I will chart what I do and let you know. Thanks for the compliments. I really like it too. YP ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 9:14pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/tips-for-photoshop-and-extracting-images/8559/11 "2002-11-23T21:14:30Z")
I feel like such a pratt!!! Does anyone know how I ‘may’ of created the effect in the above post … I know I put a crosshatch filter on it, but that was at the end, I don’t know how I knocked out the colour like that … I was kind of aimlessly pressing stuff … _LOL_ … I hate it when that happens … _note to self_ records actions in PS, that’s what its there for! ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 9:22pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/tips-for-photoshop-and-extracting-images/8559/12 "2002-11-23T21:22:10Z")
Nevermind, GOT IT! :beam: ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 10:23pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/tips-for-photoshop-and-extracting-images/8559/13 "2002-11-23T22:23:33Z")
> \*Originally posted by Ryall \* > \*\*about the mask thing… if you dont apply the mask and just save the entire psd next time you open it it will be there. I guess I am not sure what you mean - as photoshop saves EVERYTHING. Peace \*\* Okay, so I really need to understand this because I’m EXTRACTING for the third time. This time I only needed to knock back in some edges and the mask is gone. At no point does it ask me if I want to apply or not. When I switch back from Quick Mask it automatically selects the area I’ve highlighted, I press delete and the unhighlighted areas get knocked out. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 10:41pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/tips-for-photoshop-and-extracting-images/8559/14 "2002-11-23T22:41:55Z")
just save while still in quickmask mode, it worked for me :P. this is what i did: before ![](http://www.geocities.com/mdipi2k2/flower.txt) after ![](http://www.geocities.com/mdipi2k2/flower_pixle.txt) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 11:08pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/tips-for-photoshop-and-extracting-images/8559/15 "2002-11-23T23:08:57Z")
Yeah Mike, I caught onto that one. I was saving after mask applied, but I just assumed you could click back and it would be there. That sucks. Nice work btw. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 11:28pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/tips-for-photoshop-and-extracting-images/8559/16 "2002-11-23T23:28:51Z")
hey thanks for the compliment. Yeah its not there, i did the same thing you did for a while when i first played around with quick masks. :(. BTW what contry are you from? The only place i have ever hear Yorkshire Pudding was when i was in Windsor, England…come to think of it, that was the only place i ever had it too… ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2002, 11:17pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/tips-for-photoshop-and-extracting-images/8559/17 "2002-11-24T23:17:09Z")
I’m from Yorkshire, England. But, I live in Toronto, Canada now. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 8:45am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/tips-for-photoshop-and-extracting-images/8559/18 "2002-11-26T08:45:18Z")
York, you can also feather the edges of your selection, it will blur the edges so you can’t see the jagged edges. Here’s a link to a tutorial, hope it helps. [http://www.graphic-design.com/Photoshop/Seminars/feathering/feathering.html](http://www.graphic-design.com/Photoshop/Seminars/feathering/feathering.html)