Adobe Photoshop contains tools like the background eraser and an extract filter to help you quickly erase complicated background images from digital photographs.
Want to do something similar but without Photoshop ?
Just upload your picture to FotoFlexer, an online photo editor, and open the Geek tab. There you’ll find an intelligent tool called "Smart Scissors" that works much like the Magnetic Lasso selection tool of Photoshop.
Draw a rough boundary around the image that you want to separate from the background and you will notice that "Smart Scissors" magically snaps the curves to the nearest edge (see screenshot on the right).
Once satisfied with the selection, click "Create Cutout" and you’re done.
You can use this free FotoFlexer service to extract picture of a particular person from some group photograph or you want to merge two photos - cut a portion from the first image using Smart Scissors and place in over the second picture.
The cutouts can be saved as JPGs or a PNG so I guess it maintains the transparency as well. Have fun.
Find this article at: http://www.labnol.org/internet/pictures/remove-photo-background-image-erase-people/2433/
web: http://www.labnol.org/ email: amit@labnol.org
Reader Comments
Freeware Paint.NET has a magic lasso like tool which works pretty well! The whole paint.net software is very good - see it like a toned down version of photoshop - and a free one :)
Written by Vivek on 02.28.08
Another quick method is to use the freehand screen capture in the Snippy program (freeware). Combine it with the M8 Free Multi Clipboard and you have a slick edit on the fly program with no uploading.
Written by Kajo on 02.28.08
Maybe the addition of a tolerance and softness setting might be required to cut out a background similar to the subject…
Written by Michael on 02.28.08
It is a great tool… just wish I could figure out how to download the picture back onto the computer to use for my website or blog.
Written by CoraLyn on 07.23.08
That Smart Scissors thing didn’t work at all for me. I tried over and over for almost an hour and it wouldn’t cut anything. Why don’t you suggest something that’s actually EASY to use instead of something that’s so incredibly difficult?
Written by Lisa on 10.08.08