The plugins lacks live preview feature, you have to render the image each time you want to preview your isolation. Once you take in the core concept of edges and blending, the rest of the functionality should be relatively easy to figure out on your own. If you are familiar with Photoshop controls and shortcuts, learning Fluid Mask should be a breeze. People working with large batches of files that need to be isolated may also reap the benefits of faster workflow with Fluid Mask plugin. Additionally, the Fluid Mask workflow is adoptable to many types of images, while you may have to try different techniques for different images with traditional Photoshop tools. Working on complicated subjects with the Select Tool can get pretty stressful at times painting in edges is certainly easier. What We Like About This Plugin: WorkflowĮven though you can get pretty similar if not better results with the Refine Edge tool in Photoshop, Fluid Mask 3 workflow seems so much easier. If you happen to have overlooked a few tiny areas, Photoshop’s “History Brush” tool can help you save the day. You will not be able to go back to the same workspace in Fluid Mask 3 once this is done (unless you undo all your changes and star over), so it’s best to make sure you are satisfied with the mask while still working within the plugin window.
Clicking File > Save and Apply or the usual shortcut “Ctrl +S” on the PC will finalize the isolation and close the plugin, taking you back to Photoshop. You can always switch back to rge normal workspace by hitting “Workspace” tab at the top. Hit “Create Cut Out” on the left hand toolbar to create the isolation.
Painting over troubled areas with “Blend Exact Tool” (blue pencil) will help you smooth out the outlines and fix hard to reach places, such as gaps and edges that are only a few pixels wide.
You can improve your selection by painting outside the software generated edges with the “Exact Keep” & “Exact Delete” brushes.
Remember to hit apply to let the software analyze the image again with new settings. For example, lowering edge width threshold, slightly increasing the number of edges and setting edge contrast to high works really well for this image of a stuffed bunny toy. Playing around with the “Edge Finding” options on the right hand side can yield much better results on 2 nd or 3 rd try. It has to be also said that default plugin settings will not always find the right edges. Mastering these blend lines will help you achieve perfect isolation.Īs with any isolation job using traditional Photoshop tools or 3 rd party plugins, for best results you must use as higher resolution image as possible. The blue outlines in between keep and delete areas are what make this product unique, they are blend areas that create smooth edges around the outline of the subject. The basic idea is that you will paint in the areas you want to keep with green and mask in red. You will also notice a set of red and green brushes on the left hand tools menu. The application will immediately start analyzing the workspace for edges. This will open a brand new application window with your Photoshop image already loaded into it. For example, the Adjust Image Information Layer tool lets you temporarily adjust the contrast and color of an image to make it easier for Fluid Mask to identify the edges that separate areas you want to keep or discard.Once installed, you can launch the plugin by opening any image in Photoshop, then going to “ Filters” menu and selecting Vertus > Fluid Mask 3. Advanced toolsįor more challenging masking jobs-isolating a green frog sitting on a similarly colored leaf-you can employ several other tools that provide more control over the masking process. Close the Fluid Mask window, and you’re back in Photoshop, with your masked image open and ready to use. You can then click the Create Cut-Out button and watch while Fluid Mask removes the background, leaving only the flower. When you do, Fluid Mask automatically masks out similar colors that appear throughout the image.įor an image containing a consistent background color, this might be the only step you need to perform. For straightforward masking jobs-for example, isolating a yellow flower from a solid blue background-you might simply paint across the blue background with the Delete Global brush. To isolate part of an image, use Fluid Mask’s tools to specify which colors you want to keep and which ones you want to delete. Like Photoshop, Fluid Mask provides single-keystroke shortcuts for its tools and brushes-a nice interface touch. Fluid Mask takes over your screen, replacing Photoshop’s menus and tool palettes with its own (see screenshots). To use Fluid Mask, open an image and then choose Fluid Mask from Photoshop’s Filter menu.