Creating artworks for web and print media is almost impossible without digital photo editing techniques like background removal, color correction, cropping, resizing and more.

One of the most challenging and important technique to learn as an image editing expert is to remove a subject successfully from its background without losing any of its components. If you are an expert in Photoshop, your hands on expertise in handling the pen tool will help you a lot in this case. Every subject will have different levels of details that you might have to handle for a successful background removal project.  Background removal may be required for plain background product images, models with products and for enhancing a subject by removing any distracting background- whatever be the need, the output has to be perfect.

Background removal can be achieved by two major techniques called clipping path and masking.  Both these techniques are done by using a combination of tools like, pen tool, lasso tool, magic wand tool, background remover/ eraser tool, magic eraser, quick selection tool and more as per individual preferences and necessities.

Background removal of a subject with sharp and definite edges like a car, table or toys can be done with a technique called clipping path. This background removal technique is a process of drawing a vector path around a subject with the help of pen tool so as to isolate the subject from the unwanted background. The vector path is used to make selection in Photoshop or is recognized when the image is imposed into pagination.

Subject outlines as fine as hair and fur are the more complex ones and needs a bit extra care.  Masking is the kind of background removal technique that is used for separating subjects with jagged outline from its background.

Some of the challenges that Photoshop experts face during hair masking technique is to make the hair look natural after the background removal is done.  Usage of right type of background element or right type of hair and putting on an effective color contrast that makes things look natural is what all it needs.

Most experts use feather brush to adjust the hair strands that might look unnatural so that it is easy for it to blend in with any type of new background later. The use of Refine Radius tool and careful implementation of it will help getting rid of leftover background between hair strands. Background removal is easy when it is done understand the tools and the ways in which they can alternatively used.