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In this tutorial we will begin by looking at how to apply a clipping path to an image. A clipping path is a vector-based outline that defines the transparent areas of an image. This means that you can isolated an area in an image so that it alone shows up when placed into another application (such as Indesign) or when it is printed. Since clipping paths are vector-based, this means that the outline will have a hard edge.
In this example we will be using an image of an apple, but you can use any image that you wish to remove the background from. If you want to use an image of an apple but don’t have one you could download one from a stock image web site such as www.sxc.hu.
1) Open the apple image (or an image of your choice) by pressing Ctrl+O and then selecting your file from the browser.
2) Click on the ‘Paths’ tab / panel that is usually grouped with the layers and channels panels (if it is not showing go to Window > Paths to bring up the panel).
3) Click on the Create New Path icon which is located at the bottom of the paths panel. A new path automatically named ‘Path 1’ will appear.
4) We will now be using the ‘Pen’ tool. Click on the Pen tool which sits in the Tools panel (this panel can also be brought up by clicking Window > Tools). Alternatively, to select the Pen tool, press the ‘P’ key on your keyboard. Now you have selected the Pen tool you will notice that several options have become available up near the menu bar. Click the ‘Geometry Options’ fly-out menu and then click the ‘Rubber Band’ option check box so that there is a tick in it. This is optional, however, it can be helpful to show you how the curve of the vector will look in advance.
5) Now make you first point buy clicking at the top of the apple where the body meets the stalk. Ensure that you place your points slightly inside of the object that you are making a path for, so that there is not going to be a ‘fringe’ of the background showing through when the path is finished.
6) Next, click and hold the left mouse button down over the middle of the right side of the apple. While continuing to hold the left mouse button down, move the cursor around. You will notice as you drag out that two ‘control handles’ appear. Drag down until the curve of the vector lines up with the curve of the apples side and then click and hold the left mouse button again somewhere around the bottom of the apple. For the sake of this tutorial, don’t worry too much if the path around the apples sides are a little inaccurate – we are simply trying to give you an idea of the basics for the time being.
7) Repeat the previous step around the left side of the apple until you get back to the apples stem. Continue in a similar fashion around the apples stem. Once you reach the original first point that you started with, click this to complete, or ‘close’, the path.
8) Click on the ‘Direct Selection Tool’ in the Tools panel or simply press the ‘A’ key on your keyboard. Use this tool to adjust the points and ‘control handles’ that may not be where you want them to sit. It is worth mentioning at this point that there are many other aspects of using the pen tool that we haven’t covered in this tutorial and that it is a tool that initially can be very frustrating to use but once you get the hang of it you wont know how you ever worked without it.
9) When you are happy with your path, click on the Paths panel again making sure that ‘Path 1’ is selected. Click on the Path panels ‘Fly-Out’ menu which is located at the top right corner of the panel.
Click ‘Clipping Path’. When the ‘Clipping Path’ dialogue box comes up, make sure that ‘Path 1’ is selected in the drop down menu. Click OK.
10) Your image now has a Clipping Path. To see the results you will need to save this image as either a JPEG or a TIFF file (as these formats support Clipping Paths) and then import or ‘place’ it into a page layout application such as Indesign.
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