While making animated video, each object used in the video should be without a background. As these objects will be placed on various backgrounds and will be given various styles to it. And here Photoshop clipping path techniques are invariantly used to cut out background from the images used for the video. Animating video is usually centered on certain theme which the maker selects before the work begins.
Simple objects like a book or a pen for example can be easily removed from its background with clipping path but complex objects like model with big hairs or an animal or bird with fur or feathers spread around then needs a better technique as clipping path will not give clean cut out. Thus the next solution is image masking technique. Clipping path is done with Photoshop pen tool. When pen tool fails to eliminate backgrounds with precision, masking is used that helps you to clip or remove objects from its background smoothly. Masking helps to take extract complex objects where minuscule details count. Masked image look gives clean edge as they can give the detailed hairs even when removed from the background image. The masked images will now be ready for your animation video.
Let’s follow the eight steps to get the masked image for animated Video:
First, create a duplicate layer of the image to work on it in Adobe Photoshop and hide the background by clicking the visibility icon.
Second, select Color Range from the Menu bar and select the Left Eye Dropper tool and background color. Move fuzziness slider to get a clean background to give your picture blackness you desire. Now the remaining white areas need to be removed.
Third, select the channels palette while keeping your selections active.
Fourth, make the new alpha channel visible by clicking the save selection channel button.
Fifth, Deselect by pressing Ctrl and click on Alpha 1 in the channels palette. The main window will turn black and white.
Sixth, make the edge hard by selecting a brush and paint over all the areas that fit in the object to mask out.
Seventh, click on the Alpha 1 thumbnail by holding the Ctrl key to see an active selection.
Eight, you will see the color image by clicking the RGB. Now select the working layer and press the Backspace key. Your masked image is ready.
