why’s it so impossible to cut out a brush?

[Al Jensen]

Just a thought: Magic Wand? Magic Eraser Tool? If the differences in color are significant enough those should work fine I’d think.

[Darby Edelen]

Black is fully transparent in a layer mask, you’re working with a black background… does this give you any ideas? =)

The only problem is that there are 255 levels of non-transparent in a mask (dark gray to gray to white) so you’ll need to use a levels adjustment to blow out these parts and make them white.

Curious, where did you get this image?

[Zowie Repoza]

” . . . does this give you any ideas? =)”

Not really. My knowledge of layers comes from how they’re treated in ImageFX. Layers in PS have never been clear to me.

Did scour the list before posting this, and I read with interest your response to another query last week about cut-outs, in which you suggested going into the layers pallette and clicking on Channels.

Where you lost me was the part where you said “drag one of the channels down to duplicate it and create an alpha channel.”

Perhaps it’s that the controls are slightly different on my PC version, but there doesn’t seem to be an alpha option–just “Load channel as selection,” “Save selection as channel,” “Create new channel.”

The black box with the white inner circle looks like the proper symbol for an alpha channel with transparent black background and opaque white area–but when I drag to this symbol, I get the “NO” symbol.

So, the subsequent steps of your suggestion were kinda of lost to me.

(Have examined manuals, how-to’s published by adobe, and the help file within CS, but nowhere does it tell you PRECISELY how to create an alpha channel from an existing channel–only what great things you can do with one).

“Curious, where did you get this image?”

Created it from a scan of a dried insect, a dragonfly nymph.

Thanx, wuz, for chipping in here.

I’m sure there’s a straightforward procedure that I’m just not getting yet.

[Darby Edelen]

[zowie repoza] “Where you lost me was the part where you said “drag one of the channels down to duplicate it and create an alpha channel.””

That’s because it’s one of those less exciting rarely touted features (;

You already found the button you need to use, but PS doesn’t explicitly tell you that you can use it to duplicate a channel as an alpha channel.

Try dragging one of the channels, preferably whichever one has more contrast between the foreground and background, onto the ‘Create new channel’ button. This will duplicate the channel. Once you’re working with that channel you can use any adjustments or filters available in PS (in grayscale) on that Alpha Channel.

Once you’ve got that Alpha looking good you can use the ‘Load Channel as Selection’ button or ctrl/cmd click the channel thumbnail. Then using this selection go back to your original layer and use Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal Selection.

Good luck! =)

[Zowie Repoza]

[wuzelwazel] “Try dragging one of the channels, preferably whichever one has more contrast between the foreground and background, onto the ‘Create new channel’ button. This will duplicate the channel. Once you’re working with that channel you can use any adjustments or filters available in PS (in grayscale) on that Alpha Channel.

Once you’ve got that Alpha looking good you can use the ‘Load Channel as Selection’ button or ctrl/cmd click the channel thumbnail. Then using this selection go back to your original layer and use Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal Selection.”

Aha, now we’re cookin’. Turns out, I was doing it correctly–but it’s at your second paragraph that I’m cut off.

I get the “alpha” looking good (VERY white and VERY black)–but when I Load Channel as Selection and go up into the menu bar and pull down the Layer options, “Layer Mask” is ghosted.

(This was happening when I tried this before; it’s what made me think that this new channel I’d duplicated/created was NOT an alpha channel).

I’m really grateful for your help with this, wuz.

[Darby Edelen]

[zowie repoza] ”
I get the “alpha” looking good (VERY white and VERY black)–but when I Load Channel as Selection and go up into the menu bar and pull down the Layer options, “Layer Mask” is ghosted.”

It sounds like you haven’t switched back to your original layer. Photoshop is going to apply a Layer Mask to whatever layer you have selected, and it can’t apply a Layer Mask to an alpha channel. Make sure that after you have your selection you go back to the Layers palette and select your original layer.

Also, note that you can make changes to the Layer Mask after you’ve applied it. If you alt-click on the Layer Mask thumbnail (to the right of the Layer’s thumbnail) you can view the Layer Mask, make adjustments, blur, whatever else. Note that you don’t have to alt-click the Layer Mask to do this, you can just select it in the Layer Palette, but it helps me to know what I’m working with (the Layer Mask instead of the Layer).

You’ll probably find that there’s some fringing around your masked layer. A good tool to work with is the Filter > Other > Minimum, this is effectively like a matte choker that will collapse your mask down some (Maximum is the reverse). I don’t recommend using a setting higher than 1 or 2 though. Also you can use a Gaussian Blur to feather the edges some and then a Levels adjustment to subtly redefine the edges.

Also, when you’re making the final changes to the mask, it helps to look at the layer instead of the mask.

[Zowie Repoza]

[wuzelwazel] “It sounds like you haven’t switched back to your original layer. Photoshop is going to apply a Layer Mask to whatever layer you have selected, and it can’t apply a Layer Mask to an alpha channel. Make sure that after you have your selection you go back to the Layers palette and select your original layer.”

Can’t seem to do this. Clicking, double-clicking–nothing seems to “select” the original layer. Only clue I have is that there’s a “locked” icon to the right of the original layer’s name.

This is a mystery to me, as I certainly never intentionally “locked” the original layer–nor do I seem to be able to unlock it.

Just as an experiment, I deleted the current project and tried loading in other images, in all formats. They ALL come in “locked.”

As said, wuz, I’m grateful for your thoughtful help. I’m cutting and pasting all your responses into a text document which I’ll be saving in my Pshop helps/tutes folder.

[Darby Edelen]

[zowie repoza] “This is a mystery to me, as I certainly never intentionally “locked” the original layer–nor do I seem to be able to unlock it.”

Ah yes, the lock… I’m not sure if there’s a more elegant way around it, but I usually just duplicate the locked layer, it’ll show up as an editable layer.

[Zowie Repoza]

This is hot. I’m so excited. (I’ll never fear a “locked” layer again).

With only a slight variation on your theme (Hide Selection, rather than Reveal Selection, in the Layer Mask options), I have an excellent brush object of my ghastly insect.

When I have something fit to show, I’ll send a link.

Thanx a meg, wuz. This has been an education.

Best,
M

[Zowie Repoza]

You see my brush still needs some serious work–but it’s a start:

https://www.efn.org/~mikemcoo/dragonflyNymph.html

Again wuz, thanx heaps,
M