1. What is Clipping Path
2. Where to use Clipping Path
3. How to do Clipping Path
What is Clipping Path?
A Path is a closed vector path or shape, used to cut out an image in
current image editing software like Adobe Photoshop. Once the path is
created, clipping path is then applied on it so that anything outside
the path will be omitted when you place the file into Illustrator,
InDesign or any web developing software and inside the path will remain
same as before.
Where to use Clipping Path?
Clipping Path is necessary when we use
any photo/photograph/image to prepare a design, such as brochure design,
magazine design, web design, leaflet and many more. For example, I have
a photograph with background color gray and need to be used in the
front page of my catalogue. I must remove the background of that
particular image since my Catalogue color is green and have some other
design. To do so, I will need to create path around the image and then
convert it into clipping path. And then, when I use it
in Illustrator, InDesign, Dreamweaver or any other program, the image
background will disappear, mean no background (transparent). It will
show only the image which was inside the path. Look at the images below
to get an live view.
Before clipping path
After clipping path
How to do Clipping Path?
1. Open an image in Photoshop you want to use for your clipping path tutorial
(go to the file menu in Photoshop and select open, from the open
dialogue box choose the file you want to use and then click open.
Photoshop pen tool
Pen tool menu
2. Once you have got the file open in Photoshop, select the “Pen Tool”
from the tool box (if you can’t see the tool box, go to window menu and
select “Tools”). Now, make sure that you have selected “Paths” from the
pen tool menu bar which is located underneath of the main Menu bar.
3. Now click on the image edge and drag
the mouse pointer towards the next step and release the mouse. After an
appropriate distance, again click on the image edge and continue in the
same manner until you have completed moving around the image and finally
see this “o” symbol. This “O” symbol means you are going to close the
path. Click on it (starting point) in order to close the path.
Before clipping path
Clipping path created
4. Once the path is completed around the
image and its closed properly, go to path pallete (window menu/ select
“Paths”). Double click on the “work path” and press enter to save the path and the path name will be changed to “Path-1” instead of “work path”.
Photoshop work path
Path palette popup
5. Go to “pop up” menu from the Paths
palette and select “Clipping Path…”. A dialogue box will appeare asking
to choose your desired path and Flatness. Select the path you want
to Clipped and Put the flatness you desire and click “OK”. You are now
almost done. Flatness is the desired amount of pixel you want to make blur the image edge.
The more amount you use in Flatness the more image edge will be
blurish. In general, leave the Flatness box blank (0) and the image edge
will be 100% sharp which is most of the time appropriate.
Path palette popup menu
Applying clipping path
6. You can now save the file in PSD or
TIFF format and ready to place into the program you are working with for
your design. This time you will get the image without the background.
Thats all about clipping path.
