Faded image

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Faded Edges

This tutorial will show you how to create the faded edges look for a kind of instant mask from any of the standard selection shapes, or any shape you wish to use. This is easy enough for the beginner with Photo Impact.

	If you want, you may use this image I made with Terragen in this tutorial. Click the thumbnail at left to go the full size version.
	Open the image you want to use for this tutorial. Now you have to change the background color to the color you will use in your finished product. If you will be using a background image, open it, and make it active. Use the eyedropper tool to choose the predominant color in the background tile for your background color. Click the eyedropper tool. Right click the desired background color. A right click sets the background color, while a left click sets the foreground color. I clicked on the mountains in the background where I have put the x in the thumbnail.
	There are three methods you may use to achieve the faded edges look in PI. We will begin with the easiest. Method 1. Click the standard selection tool.
	In the attribute tool bar, click the down arrow beside rectangle, and click ellipse. Here you may choose any of the shapes listed, depending on what you think will work best with your image.
	In the box under Soft edge, type a number anywhere from 10 to 50. This number is the number of pixels that will be faded. They are added to the outside of your selection lines. If you have an image that does not leave you a lot of room around the edges to trim, you will have to set the number low. If you use too high of a number, and your selection lines are less than that many pixels away from the edge, you will get an unattractive hard line at the edge where the image could not be faded because you did not allow enough room. With this image, I have a lot of room to play with, and I want a very soft edge, so I have set the soft edge to 50.
	Now click and draw your ellipse at least 50 pixels away from the edge. All sides of your finished selection should be at least 50 pixels away from the edge. Here, I have cropped off most of my extra space at the top. You should leave more room than this!
	Right click, convert to object, Right click again, copy, and click on edit/paste/as a new image. If the image is wider than 300 pixels use the transform tool to make it smaller. Push space to select the background, and click format/dimensions, or CTRL G to open the dimensions dialog box. Uncheck "Keep aspect ratio" Click the down arrow beside unit, and click pixels. Type 1152 for the width. If you want to fill your strip with a background tile, go back to the tile you opened when we began, and click the title bar to activate it. Ctrl C to copy it to the clipboard. Ctrl F opens the fill dialog box. Click the image tab, and click the circle beside clipboard. Merge all and use the image optimizer to prepare your strip for stationery or your web pages.
	Method 2. As in method 1, set your background color to your desired background color. This time, click the path tool. Click the rectangle under shape, and click custom shape. Choose any of the frame shapes. I have chosen wave 1. Set the mode to selection.
	Draw your shape on the image. It will appear as a selection. If, after drawing your selection, you need to move it, just use the arrow keys to move the selection to a better place. Or click the transform tool to re size it.
	Right click on your image and click soften. When softening a shape selection, I use a smaller number 15 or less, because if you use a larger number, you will loose the look of the shape. Right click and convert to an object. Continue on as in method 1.
	Right click and convert to an object. Continue on as in method 1.
	Method 3. This method works well too, and it is only marginally harder than the other two methods. This is the method to pick if you have this wonderful photo of an object, animal or person, and the background detracts from rather than adding to the image, and you don't want to spend a lot of time cutting it out cleanly. Click the selection tool, and hold down on the mouse button until the tool menu opens. Click the last one, the bezier curve tool.
	In the attribute tool bar, click the down arrow under shape, and click free path. The bezier curve tool is used by a series of clicks. You can click in an irregular path around the area you would like to display, letting go of the mouse button after each click. You don't have to take a lot of time doing this, as any rough edges will be smoothed when you add the soft edge. Go all around the image until you get back to the first click point. Double click that point to close your shape.
	At this point, your image will be surrounded by a solid line with a red or green square at every click point. If you decide you'd like to move one of the points, instead of "Draw a new path," click "Edit existing path." Now click on the square you'd like to move, and let go. Click again and drag the point to where you want it. Let go. I can't show you a screen shot here. When I tried to print screen, there was nothing to paste.
	When you are satisfied with your selection, click the toggle button.
	Right click and click soften. In the dialog box, type in the amount you'd like your selection softened. If you are using this method on a part of an image you cut out, you'll want to keep the soften amount to 10 or less if you want to show as little of the background as possible. Otherwise, you can enter as much as 150 here, although you probably will never use that much. Right click, convert to object, and finish your work as in method one.