Best Masking/extract tools

[my3peas]

http://www.vertustech.com/

[Sonny]

Originally Posted by a2rob

For me, Just the plain old Lasso tool:

Looks like an Artistic Action template.

[Sonny]

Originally Posted by my3peas

http://www.vertustech.com/

BAD CHRISTIE!

[carrbowl]

Does having one of the "tablets" help with this kind of project??? Not doing it, just curious.

[12stones]

Originally Posted by carrbowl

Does having one of the "tablets" help with this kind of project??? Not doing it, just curious.

It can depending on you. Having a "pen" to actually trace your selection by hand can definitely help, as opposed to gauging with a mouse. But it's not completely necessary. It's a personal choice.

[Sonny]

Originally Posted by carrbowl

Does having one of the "tablets" help with this kind of project??? Not doing it, just curious.

I still use a Logitech Laser Mouse.

[luis_relampago]

Renae,
Do you mean like wacom tablets? If that is the case it will defenetly help but it's an expensive alternative not only that but you'll get in to more tweaking on the pen options like pen pressure etc, etc, plus getting use to it.

[a2rob]

Originally Posted by Sonny

All those 3rd party programs are no better than photoshop. They all work off the same principals. I've bought and tried Corel Knockout 2, Fluid Mask, and onOne Mask Pro . After reading many positve reviews, I was disappointed in all 3. In every instance, the extract software did a decent intial extract. But you always had to go back and clean up the edges. Don't fall for all the hype & promises those programs offer. BASICALLY THEY ARE ALL THE SAME! One might offer a different feature than the rest.

So right back to photoshop I went. It just takes lots of practice and finding the right technique for you. Try these 5 Great Background Masking Techniques in Photoshop. Once you go through them all...let us know which one worked the best for you. Depending on my situation I'll use a combination of the The Quick Mask Technique, Laso Tool and Pen Tool. Personally I achieved the best results this way, but that's just my 2 cents!

Sonny,
You nailed it!! I have tried KO, Mask Pro, etc, nothing compares to the good old tools in PS. Basically Lasso, Magnetic lasso, and the Eraser tools. Nothing is easy at fisrt but as you get good it will take only minutes. The picture I posted earlier was completed in 20 min.
That was EXTRACTION No. 385...
To the poster that wanted to know prices, depending on your market area, I have seen them go for 30.00 to 59.00. At tournaments tack on about 10.00 to 15.00 to depending on the number of assistants that you have.
Normally I wil only do two to three extractions, but that one was special..
Rob

[Gordon]

I mostly do selections of things I can see in the image - so I use whatever it is that distinquishes it from the background to drive the selection.

Typically create a mask based on one channel or another if I'm pulling something of a different tone or colour out. Then I'll adjust that initial mask with curves/ levels etc to get a start point then maybe paint in some interior sections. Usually only takes a few seconds to create a mask of even very complex shapes.

I find if I'm using the lasso or magnetic lasso tools, I'm doing things the hardest way possible, in general.

I posted an example of image driven extraction here, a long time ago.