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Open the photo in Adobe Photoshop CS5, and then use one of the selection tools to select the object with the rough edges. Press 'B' to view the selection on a black background or 'W' to view the. Knowing how to retouch an image in Adobe Photoshop CS6 means little if you don’t know how to make the retouching discreet. If you boost the color using curves to the CEO’s face, do you want it to look like a pancake has been attached to his cheek? Of course not — that isn’t discreet.
Extracting elements such as people or objects from the background of a photo often results in jagged edges. These rough edges can be especially noticeable in areas with complex outlines, such as hair or fur. Photoshop CS5 and above offers a few methods for smoothing out jagged edges and making the extracted selection look more natural. Use the Blur tool for selections that only have a few rough edges, or use the Refine Selection tool for larger selections with complex outlines.
Blur Tool
Open the photo with the rough edges in Adobe Photoshop CS5, and then select the Blur tool from the toolbox.
Hold down 'Alt' and use the mouse scroll wheel to zoom in on the section of the image with the rough edges. Alternatively, use the Zoom tool to view the jagged edges from close-up.
Press '[' or ']' with the Blur tool selected to decrease or increase the size of the brush. For best results, make the brush size only slightly larger than the edges that you want to smooth to prevent too much of the surrounding area from being blurred.
Click and drag the mouse cursor over the rough edges to blur the jagged pixels. Click and drag the 'Strength' slider to a higher percentage for a stronger blur effect.
Refine Edge
Open the photo in Adobe Photoshop CS5, and then use one of the selection tools to select the object with the rough edges.
Press 'B' to view the selection on a black background or 'W' to view the selection on a white background. A dark background makes it easier to work with light objects, while a white background is suited for darker objects.
Click the 'Smart Radius' check box, and then use the slider to adjust the radius value. The changes to the image are displayed while you make the adjustment. Click the Zoom tool on the Refine Edge window, and then click your image to increase the magnification.
Use the 'Smooth' slider in the Adjust Edge section to increase the smoothness of the image edges. The changes are displayed in real-time so you can monitor the effect on your image. The ideal value depends on how rough the edges of your images are, so increase the value until you are satisfied with the results.
Increase the 'Feather' value slightly to ensure that the image blends in with whatever background layer you are placing it on.
Select 'New Document' from the 'Output To' drop-down list, and then click 'OK.'
References (1)
- Photoshop CS5 for Nature Photographers; Ellen Anon and Josh Anon
Resources (1)
About the Author
Virtually growing up in a computer repair shop, Naomi Bolton has held a passion for as long as she can remember. After earning a diploma through a four year course in graphic design from Cibap College, Bolton launched her own photography business. Her work has been featured on Blinklist, Gameramble and many others.
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Bolton, Naomi. 'How to Fix the Rough Edges in Photoshop CS5.' Small Business - Chron.com, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/fix-rough-edges-photoshop-cs5-78585.html. 27 July 2018.
Bolton, Naomi. (2018, July 27). How to Fix the Rough Edges in Photoshop CS5. Small Business - Chron.com. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/fix-rough-edges-photoshop-cs5-78585.html
Bolton, Naomi. 'How to Fix the Rough Edges in Photoshop CS5' last modified July 27, 2018. http://smallbusiness.chron.com/fix-rough-edges-photoshop-cs5-78585.html
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