New User - "Cutting out" a foreground object

[jenwalton]

Hi, I am a new Photoshop user and I am sure this is one of the most basic tasks, but am having difficulty doing this.

When I try to cut out a foreground object using the pen tool, it fills in the shape with either the foreground or background color. What I want to accomplish is to cut out the object with its colors and images intact, or, in other words, to cut out everything but the foreground object.

????

 

[jimoblak]

Make a selection with your favorite selection method, then invert the selection from the Select menu.

You may also want to read up on layer masks, which will offer more options to remove and restore elements.

- - picklefish - -

 

[tbear]

Jenwalton,
Go to

http://www.russellbrown.com.

he is an Adobe guru and has some awesome tutorials that are done in Quicktime and also pdf. He has a tutorial called advanced extract using PS 7.0 new extract tool. Worth the time to view them.
Hope this helps.
Terry

 

[sdraper]

if you make a selection on the background layer and press the delete key, it will fill the selection rather than delete it. To convert the background to a layer, double click on the layer in the layers palette and choose a name for the result. Then if you make a selection and delete it you have the desired effect. Another option if oyu want to preserver the source layer is to got to the layers menu and choose "new layer via copy" or "new layer via cut" thi swill place the selection only on a new layer and leave the source layer unscathed if you choose copy or if you choose cut, it will remove the selected area.
Hope This Helps!

Sam