Clipping Paths

[mhanly]

Is there a software available that can help me create clipping paths?

Mark
Hanly Design
Republic of Panama
:confused:

[GuyB]

I'm not aware of a software that makes clipping paths. Besides the use of the pen tool, the easiest way to make them is with selections. Photoshop offers multiple ways to make selections, you just have to turn them into paths, and clipping paths, easily in the paths palette.

[DCurry]

You'll get the best results by mastering the Pen tool to generate clipping paths. True, you can convert selections into paths as previously stated, but the end result is usually not as good as if you drew it with the pen tool in the first place. Learn how to make curves with the pen tool - the fewer points there are in your path, the better for the RIP and the faster you can create the path. Also, when drawing the path, make sure you draw it a couple of pixels inside of the shape that you are clipping if you follow along the outside of the shape instead, you'll get a bit of a halo or color spill when you place the file in a layout program.

[Creativepaintballer]

I have heard of a program before JcPenny's uses it at least they did last year. its called bluescreen something. It would knock out the background along with giving you the clipping path.... at least thats what i was told never got to play with it. good luck. the pen tool is going to be the cheapest tho.

[Creativepaintballer]

hey mark check this place out just found it.

http://www.vertustech.com/fm_overview.htm
good luck

[The Repro Kid]

I am under the impression that in order to use a bluescreening program you must photo your subjects aginst a flat blue or green background. The background lighting must be controlled to have a continuous, even color. Not many photos are shot this way. It is something you must plan for and set up in advance.

[crawfurd]

Is there a software available that can help me create clipping paths?

Mark
Hanly Design
Republic of Panama
:confused:

Hi,

I just passed by this forum and saw that some people maybe were a bit tired of clipping paths.
You know you can always outsource them at low prices, it might be a good solution if they are complicated.

www.lazymask.com should be alright ;)

Cheers

[The Repro Kid]

It seems like a great service but I couldn't help noticing what I consider to be a glaring error on one of the main sample files shown on their home page. See screenshot below.

[GuyB]

Peekaboo !

[DCurry]

Yeah, let's outsource more of our jobs to foreign countries!

[The Repro Kid]

Yeah, let's outsource more of our jobs to foreign countries!

It's worse than that. Check out this quote from their mission statement.

LazyMask is a Danish company under rapid growth, located in Copenhagen, Denmark and Cebu City, Philippines. We boast an international clientele mainly consisting of advertising companies, pre-press companies and professional photographers.

Our team of professional Philippine graphic artists is backed by experienced Scandinavian management ensuring a high level of quality and minimizing cultural and linguistic misunderstandings. This as well as our specialization in the graphic fields of image outlining and clipping paths has given us strong competitive advantages. Thus, we will be able to provide you with an unprecedented service and quality.

Our modern office in the Philippines as well as exceptional
working conditions is furthermore an important part of our
dedication to quality.

I can't believe the Danes would create a Graphic Arts Sweatshop!

After examining lots of the sample images, including the retouching and color correcting done by their "affiliate" company, it's clear that the work is done with
automated software such as Mask-pro and Digital ice. I'm also willing to bet that their team of "professional graphic artists" probably make less than a dollar per image.

The samples on the masking sites are just that, masked images, not clipped images, although they do offer clipping services it is probably more costly than the masking services because it is impossible to create a truly high quality clipped image without time consuming, skilled labor.

I was going to compare how many images you would have to buy from them to justify buying a copy of mask pro for yourself, but their prices gave away their sweatshop practices.

Prices start at 2.25 Euros for a masked image. How much do you think the "professional Philippine graphic artist" makes on that image? 5¢, maybe 25¢ at the most? There would be no other way you could afford to keep offices staffed with "experienced Scandinavian management" in Denmark and a "modern office in the Philippines" with "exceptional working conditions" otherwise.

[crawfurd]

Yeah, let's outsource more of our jobs to foreign countries!

I follow your thoughts, however, when this is only a routine task and no jobs in the west actually sit and do clipping paths all the time it simply makes the life of a graphic artist that much more pleasant. It also gives the graphic artist more time for creativity.

Nevertheless I know quite a few people who use LazyMask and they say it helps and is cheaper than getting others to do it.

Cheers people!
www.lazymask.com

[The Repro Kid]

I follow your thoughts, however, when this is only a routine task and no jobs in the west actually sit and do clipping paths all the time it simply makes the life of a graphic artist that much more pleasant. It also gives the graphic artist more time for creativity.

Nevertheless I know quite a few people who use LazyMask and they say it helps and is cheaper than getting others to do it.

Cheers people!
www.lazymask.com

:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:


Weell,
in all fairness, the pumpkin mask was correct. I eventually found the original image on their site and in the photo the back of the pumpkin was actually missing. I don't know who carved that pumpkin, though.

[AdobeAce]

:I don't know who carved that pumpkin, though.

Hi Repro,

I think it was the same person who cut the clipping path.

Ace

:D

[bcordle]

hey mark check this place out just found it.

http://www.vertustech.com/fm_overview.htm
good luck

CP,
Have you tried this product? If so, how well did it work?
Thanks,
Brian

[The Repro Kid]

Hi Repro,

I think it was the same person who cut the clipping path.

Ace

:D

Hi Ace, I'm still wondering what part of the West doesn't pay employees "to actually sit and do clipping paths", as Crawfurd refers. Clipping paths have been very good to me, and I can't recall ever having come upon an instance where clipping paths were farmed out to illegals, overseas sweatshops, or anyone else. I mean, I know in the West we don't mow our own lawns -- but clipping paths? -- Come on! Well, maybe crawfurd is from some area far, far away from here (the West) and has been listening to too much graphic arts socialist propaganda, and may need to get a TV, buy a newspaper, and allow himself to be exposed to information that has not been selectively disseminated to promote a certain point of view.

No offense crawfurd, but implying that Westerners may so decadent that they do not create their own clipping paths...???