Background Remove

Best Technique

[fashezee]

When attemping to remove the background of a product image; what tecnique is most effective.
We have been using the erase tool and path tool so far; however, we now have about 1000 product images to re-touch. What was is the fastest and easiest way to perform this action?

We attempted the extract tool in photoshop; but it does not seem to work well. Any advise?

[trillianjedi]

Are the backgrounds you wish to remove predominantly white or photographic?

[fashezee]

white - off white actually.

What's the deal with the blue/green screen. Should we invest in something like this? How easy is it to remove the blue/green?

[trillianjedi]

Are you removing the background colour so the images sit better on your own site background colour or do you need them to be transparent?

If the former, you can do the easy way using a "multiplied" layer (you may have to increase the brightness to get the off-white to white).

If the latter, I personally tend to use the airbush eraser manually. But I don't do that many so it's not an issue.

As for the blue screen style photo's I don't know - but surely there is software around to do this? This is a standard trick in video editing.

<Edit - just re-read your post - these are your photographs obviously. Personally I would do against white and see if you can increase flash settings to get a white white background. From there it's a doddle in Photoshop (to change the background colour - not make transparent) and you can automate. I have no idea about using the blue screen technique, which may well be better.</Edit>

TJ

[Span]

When I started to remove backgrounds I used the erase tool. After buying and trying about all available plug-ins a few years ago I found out the best tool for the job is the polygonal lasso. Removed thousands of backgrounds with it. Works ten times as fast and much more precise than erasing.

[winstun]

I generally use the polygon lasso tool, as well.
Set it with a 1px feather and it can clear out bg's easily and with the feather set you end up getting hardly of that dreaded pixelated look.

Just trace around your main object, even just loosely the first time, then invert and press delete. Repeat to get a nice look.

As far as doing many *shrugs* make sure you're in a comfy chair! Heheh

G'luck

[mahlon]

magic wand set to tolerance around 25, hold down shift and click around till background is selected and then delete. Before hitting delete you can hit Q key and go in adjust the mask to do fine work with brush and eraser then Q again and delete. Also look for a clipping path, that helps also.

[Jon_King]

Depending on the detail in the object and the degree of contrast from the background - the only way may be to draw a path using the pen tool and then making that path into a selection, inverting then deleting the background. I use this method for dropping the background for most 'product shots'.

[fashezee]

Thanks Folks!
Some useful tips I hadn't thought of.

[limbo]

go in adjust the mask

I also find this the best way to fine tune magic wand selections. Feathering is nice but for an image drop into new background it can look overlaid. I think the trick is to work at higher resolution and export to 72 so the finer details can be eeked out before the image is optimised.

[trillianjedi]

I think the trick is to work at higher resolution and export to 72 so the finer details can be eeked out before the image is optimised.

So true limbo, so true and a very important point worth re-iterating.

I tend to work at 288 dpi which allows me to see the actual size at 25% zoom, but offers enough resolution to get a decent finished product for 72dpi screen.

TJ

[Jenny_web]

Maybe you should overexpose the image a little, not all background should be removed in PS, it will make the margins loook weird.
I don't think a blue screen will help unless you have a good lighting setup and techniquq, I would go for a white background and plenty of light.

[Leosghost]

You could try something called knockout from corel ..
It will let you get rid of backgrounds and still keep the shadows etc to transfer to your new backgrounds ...

You could also do this reasonably well in Paintshop Pro and then "create a script" to do it automatically for you ...

What you can do in any image prog is to separate the alpha channel and us it as a mask to do a mask,delete,invert mask,insert as layer sequence ...again in some progs you can script this ...

I would still go with "knockout" if there is anything like hair or fur or shadows involved although you cannot automate it it is worth having for "one offs"..

[limbo]

also try looking at clipping paths.

Ta

limbo