• Adobe Photoshop

  Tracing an image with path/mask tools.

  Posted by Alana Rees on February 12, 2010 at 12:56 am

  Hi,

  I’m new to Photoshop and am looking to trace elements of an image I have loaded. My end-goal is to have a series of layers that make up my loaded image so that I can move and manipulate them individually. Basically wondering how to best achieve this?

  At the moment, I have been using the Pen tool to create paths around each element of my image. I am liking this so far as I have the flexibility to go in an manipulate my paths so they match my original image as much as possible. I am then basically “filling” these paths with a color by Command + clicking the paths in my Path tab.

  So far this is working well except that once the path is filled, I cannot manipulate it after. I am also having a hard time finding a way to feather the edges of the filled path layer, is this possible?

  Any ideas or suggestions on how to accomplish this would be greatly appreciated.

  Thanks in avance!

  John Mensinger replied 16 years, 3 months ago 2 Members · 1 Reply
• 1 Reply

• 

  John Mensinger

  February 12, 2010 at 3:02 am

  Before filling, create a new layer. That will put your path fill on the new layer so it will indeed be available for individual manipulation. To feather the fill, apply a Gaussian Blur.

  And/or…instead of working directly with the path, you can convert it to a selection. Once it is an active selection, choose Select > Feather, then fill.

  John M:
  All of the vim with none of that annoying vigor.

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