Photoshop - Cut out black hair from black background

TommyC8923 · 4 Jul 2015

Hi guys

Has anyone got any good tutorials or tips for removing a black background from behind curly black hair. I'm struggling to find a solution to give me a good looking finish with some pictures I'm currently working on.

Thanks
TC

Buck · 4 Jul 2015

Topaz Remask is the tool you need. Highly recommend it.

swanseamale47 · 4 Jul 2015

I'd suggest you post a sample so we can see exactly what your dealing with.

sk66 · 4 Jul 2015

For dark on dark? About impossible.

Here's an advanced method using "hard light" mode if you have any separation in tonality. http://varis.com/2013/01/01/advanced-hair-masking-technique-photoshop/

Pookeyhead · 5 Jul 2015

Shooting black hair against a black background is going to make this incredibly difficult.

PS's Refine Edge with layer blends may be able to do it, see link in sk66's post above, but black on black will make it almost impossible

Why not just reshoot on a backround that's more suitable? Even if it was your intention to replace the background, you still need to shoot in a way that lends itself to being cut out.

Farmerjim · 5 Jul 2015

sk66 said:
For dark on dark? About impossible.

Here's an advanced method using "hard light" mode if you have any separation in tonality. http://varis.com/2013/01/01/advanced-hair-masking-technique-photoshop/

That tuiton video is brilliant! Bookmarked that, that's really helped me. Thanks for the link Steven.

TommyC8923 · 6 Jul 2015

@swanseamale47 This is what I'm looking at.

Requirement was for black background - personal curiosity about the cut out.

View attachment 41234

sk66 · 6 Jul 2015

Good luck with that...
If you have a high enough resolution image you might find a channel (i.e. "black" in CMYK) that gives you enough contrast to get a 1/2 decent result.

juggler · 15 Jul 2015

Buck said:
Topaz Remask is the tool you need. Highly recommend it.

I've never yet achieved truly satisfactory results with Remask. I've come close occasionally but never quite nailed it. It definitely struggles where there isn't a clear colour difference.

Byker28i · 15 Jul 2015

Photoshop, zoom right in and draw your own mask with the pen tool, being prepared to lose a little definition, would probably be the best result, though time consuming.

Paul-H · 19 Jul 2015

Re Topaz ReMask, I find Remask 3 to be a much better tool than the newer Remask 4, the same with the OnOne version, their version 5 is so much better than anything in 7, 8, 9 & 9.5. they all tried to simplify the process and ruined the tool in the process.