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Using the extract tool
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The extract tool is a very useful function in Photoshop as it allows you to cleanly select photo's and cut them from backgrounds to paste your image or drawing into another document, or just to get rid of the background. Lets take a look.
I used this photo:
However, try your own photo and see how this works out for you 
Now, open up your image in photoshop.
Go to Filter - Extract..
It will bring up a box like this once you have selected extract.
At the side panel on the left hand side there are icons in which you need to select in order to use the extract tool.
If you hover over the top one eventually it will say 'Edge highlighter'. Select this tool.
*Hover over the other icons and find out what they are. The two tools we are using to day are the:
-Edge Highlighter (B)
- Fill tool. (G)
I will also be using the Hand (H) and Zoom tool (Z)
Now, to start to extract your photo from the background I find it is easiest to Zoom in on the image this way you are able to get the closest possible selection which makes the out come a lot nicer.
Before we go on I want to bring to your attention a handy little setting on here called the 'Smart Highlighting' tool. You can find it on the right hand side tool pane.
This tools help you accurately select your image around the outline of what you want to select. When you have this selected you get more accurate results so I recommend you use this, If not, then use the normal edge highlighter
Carefully start to trace around the edge of what you want to keep.
When you have gone around fully what you want to keep, select the 'Fill tool' (G) and then fill in the area you want to keep.
*Common Problem
When this happens, it means you have not joined up your edges properly. When this happens go back and search for a gap in your outline. When this has been fixed, try again.
Click ok, then you should have the image you want to keep on your canvas.
Thanks for taking your time to view this and I hoped it helped to understand the extract tool more as I know at first I didn't exactly know what the exact tool was about until I actually fiddled with it a bit!
Any questions etc, or improvements or more details you want added just post a comment
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9 Comments
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Rashmi Jain
03:12 AM on July 22, 2010
very nice tutorial........i folllowed it very easily.......thanks...
Reply
Mark B. Kallon
01:30 AM on June 21, 2010
This is an inspiration. I have had som problem in the past of extracting an image but I did not know exactly what to do. Now, this is a breakthrough. I am very impressed how this issue has been finally solved through reading.
Reply
ALA
04:52 PM on June 13, 2010
Im still confused cause I downloading everything for my photoshop but then when i tried to pull it up it kept saying "Could not complete your request because it is not the right kind of document." I added the CS4 plug in for the pc so everything is correct for that part but still no response. Im quite confused can anyone help with that?
Reply
costa
01:23 AM on June 08, 2010
adobe so thoughtfully decided to remove the extract tool from cs4 deeming its not usefull....if u want to try this tutorial still you can download the plugin for the extract tool here
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=4047
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=4047
Reply
firdaus
02:41 PM on June 04, 2010
john says...
It is in the filter pull down menu. You cannot miss it. It should be the third from the drop down menu. I hope that helps.
this is my filters
img says...
http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/8945/filter.png
Reply
john
10:31 PM on June 02, 2010
firdaus says...
hii, i like your tutorial... but i can't follow it..
i don't have "Extract" in my Filter menu?
where can i get it?
It is in the filter pull down menu. You cannot miss it. It should be the third from the drop down menu. I hope that helps.
Reply
firdaus
08:43 PM on June 02, 2010
hii, i like your tutorial... but i can't follow it..
i don't have "Extract" in my Filter menu?
where can i get it?
i don't have "Extract" in my Filter menu?
where can i get it?
Oops!
Oops, you forgot something.