How to Cut an Image Using Adobe Photoshop
A useful feature of Adobe Photoshop is its robust tool set used to cut out portions of an image. The tools you choose in Adobe Photoshop determine the precision with which you can isolate one part of an image from another. In order to use Photoshop more effectively, you should learn which tools work best for cutting out specific elements from an image.
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Instructions
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Open the image you want to work with by selecting "File," then "Open" from the main menu.
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Use the Lasso tool to select the region you wish to remove from the image. The default Lasso tool allows you to make a "free hand" outline of the subject. Use your mouse to drag a line precisely where you want the selection to occur. Magnifying the image can assist in isolating the region you want to remove. Select "View" and "Zoom In" from the menu to enlarge the selection area. Outlining a subject using the freehand Lasso tool can be difficult. Adobe Photoshop offers two other forms of the Lasso tool to aid in selecting the desired area to be cut out.
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Use the Magnetic Lasso tool if the subject is much brighter or darker than the surrounding area. Select the Magnetic Lasso tool by going to the "Tools" tab and expanding the Lasso tool selections by clicking on the small arrow in the lower right corner of the icon. Use your mouse to drag the Magnetic Lasso tool around the edge of the area to be cut. Note how the Magnetic Lasso "sticks" to the edge of the region so long as the edge contrasts highly from the background. This feature makes creating a precise outline of the object much easier than using the freehand Lasso tool.
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Use the Polygonal Lasso tool if the composition of your object is angular in nature. Select the tool by going to the Lasso tool submenu as described in the previous step. The Polygonal Lasso tool allows you to draw straight lines between two points to form the outline of the region to be cut out. Use your mouse to drag the beginning of the line, then click the left mouse button to save the end of the line. Every click of your mouse stores your last line, making it easy to create an angular outline of the object.
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When you have completed the outline of the region you want to cut, the Magnetic and Polygonal Lasso tools display a very small circle, indicating completion of the outline. Using these tools, you will not be able to select the region if you do not form an outline that ends precisely where you began. The default (or freehand) Lasso tool automatically draws a line between your beginning and ending point to complete the outline.
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Select "Edit," then "Cut" to cut the selected region from the remaining image.
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