Cutting a curved image in Photoshop involves using selection tools to define the curved area and then isolating that section of the image. Here's a breakdown of common methods:
1. Using the Elliptical Marquee Tool (for circular or elliptical curves):
- Select the Elliptical Marquee Tool (found under the Rectangular Marquee Tool).
- If you need a perfect circle, hold down Shift while dragging to create the selection.
- Position and resize the ellipse to encompass the curved portion you want to cut.
- If the selection is off, you can move it by clicking and dragging inside the selection.
- Go to Select > Inverse. This selects everything outside the ellipse.
- Press Delete (or Backspace) to remove everything outside the curved selection. What remains will be the curved portion.
- Deselect by going to Select > Deselect (or Ctrl/Cmd + D).
2. Using the Pen Tool (for complex curves):
- Select the Pen Tool.
- Click to create anchor points along the desired curve. For curves, click and drag to create handles that define the curve's shape.
- Adjust the handles to fine-tune the curve.
- Once the path is complete (closed), right-click on the path and choose Make Selection. Adjust the Feather Radius if desired (a higher feather radius creates a softer edge).
- Click OK. The path becomes a selection.
- Go to Select > Inverse.
- Press Delete (or Backspace) to cut everything outside of your curved selection.
- Deselect by going to Select > Deselect (or Ctrl/Cmd + D).
3. Using the Lasso Tool (for freehand curves):
- Select the Lasso Tool (or the Polygonal Lasso Tool or Magnetic Lasso Tool, depending on the type of curve).
- Carefully draw a freehand selection around the curved area. The Magnetic Lasso Tool can help "snap" to edges if there's good contrast.
- Go to Select > Inverse.
- Press Delete (or Backspace) to remove the unwanted areas.
- Deselect by going to Select > Deselect (or Ctrl/Cmd + D).
Important Considerations:
- Unlock the Layer: If your background layer is locked, double-click it in the Layers panel to unlock it. Otherwise, the delete key might fill the selection with the background color instead of making it transparent.
- Feathering: Experiment with feathering the selection to soften the edges of the cut.
- Non-Destructive Editing: For more flexibility, consider using layer masks instead of deleting pixels directly. Create a selection as described above, then click the "Add Layer Mask" button at the bottom of the Layers panel. This will hide (but not delete) the unselected areas, allowing you to refine the mask later.
