How To Cut Out A Person Or Object In Photoshop

Step 1: Using the Quick Selection Tool & Select Subject

Start by opening your image in Photoshop. One of the easiest ways to create a selection is by using the Quick Selection Tool. This lets you ‘paint’ over the area you want to select – but it can sometimes produce rough or jagged edges.

To get a cleaner result, make sure the Quick Selection Tool is active, then head to the top menu and click Select > Subject. Photoshop will automatically find and select the most prominent object in your image – often a person.

You’ll likely see that Photoshop does a decent job with fine details like hair. However, it may miss certain areas or include parts you don’t need. If that happens:

1. Add to the selection: Hold Shift and paint over areas that were missed.
2. Remove from the selection: Hold Alt/Option and brush over areas you want to exclude.

Step 2: Cutting Out the Subject

Once your selection looks right, you can cut it from the background by pressing Command+X. Then paste it onto a new layer with Command+Shift+V.

From here, you can drop in a new background, add a solid colour, or use the cutout in another design.

Step 3: Refining Your Selection on a Busy Background

If your subject is on a more detailed or cluttered background, Photoshop still handles the initial selection well – but refining the edges makes a big difference.

After selecting the subject:

– Click Select and Mask (next to Select Subject).
– In the new window, choose a view mode that helps you see the selection clearly – such as On Black or Overlay.
– Scroll down and tick Decontaminate Colours to clean up any colour bleed around edges.
– Increase the Edge Detection Radius to help Photoshop detect finer edges automatically.

To manually clean up areas:
– Use the Refine Edge Brush Tool to paint over tricky areas (like hair or fur).
– Use the Brush Tool to manually adjust selections.
– When you’re happy with the result, click OK. Photoshop will apply the refined selection as a mask on your layer. You can then right-click > Convert to Smart Object, which lets you scale and move the layer without losing resolution.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re creating content for digital campaigns, websites, or video thumbnails, knowing how to accurately cut out a person or object in Photoshop is a skill that pays off.

The best method depends on your image and how precise you need the result to be. With practice, you’ll find the approach that works best for you – and produce cleaner, more professional results every time.

Then:

– Right-click & Make Selection
– Set Feather Radius to 0
– Cut and paste the selection onto a new layer

To add a white outline:

– Double-click your new layer
– Choose Stroke from the Layer Styles menu
– Select White and adjust the size to your preference

For more control, you can Rasterize the layer style so the stroke scales proportionally with the image.

Tip: Use Remove.bg for Quick Background Removal

If you need a faster solution, you could try Remove.bg. It’s a browser-based tool that automatically removes backgrounds from images. You simply upload a photo and download the cutout.

That said, for high-resolution downloads, it does come at a cost – and in many cases, the in-Photoshop methods we’ve discussed are just as quick once you get the hang of them.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re creating content for digital campaigns, websites, or video thumbnails, knowing how to accurately cut out a person or object in Photoshop is a skill that pays off.

The best method depends on your image and how precise you need the result to be. With practice, you’ll find the approach that works best for you – and produce cleaner, more professional results every time.