OT: Masking Tools

[traceyp]

For some time I've thought seriously about getting Photoshop Elements. However, on reading a recent review, although it gained a lot of plaudits, it was admitted that it has no masking tools. This is no good to me at all as it is one of my most used tools in Corel Photopaint.

Since we would like a decent masking program anyway, I'm wondering whether anyone knows of a half decent masking program. Please bear in mind though that we don't have a lot of cash so can't afford offerings from the likes of Corel or Adobe.

Any help would be most appreciated.

Thanks.
Tracey

[traceyp]

For some time I've thought seriously about getting Photoshop Elements. However, on reading a recent review, although it gained a lot of plaudits, it was admitted that it has no masking tools. This is no good to me at all as it is one of my most used tools in Corel Photopaint.

Since we would like a decent masking program anyway, I'm wondering whether anyone knows of a half decent masking program. Please bear in mind though that we don't have a lot of cash so can't afford offerings from the likes of Corel or Adobe.

Any help would be most appreciated.

Thanks.
Tracey

[jens g.r. benthien]

why don't you use Xara? Of course in Corel PhotoPaint you have the tracer, but to adjust your mask I guess you will transform your marquee to a spline/vector and edit the vector for smooth edges. However, editing the vector in Corel is frustrating. A few days ago I had to solve a problem to mask a lawn mower. I spent an hour with PhotoPaint, but after importing the final png mask into Xara for further modification I surrendered. Then I hand traced the contours in Xara with the shape tool - in 20 minutes I had a fantastic result: add clip view, copy the outline shape, fill it, make transparent with the hue option and modify the colors.

jens g.r. benthien
designer
http://www.sacalobra.de

----------//--
If you don't know how to dream you'll never be a designer.
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[molucca]

Elements has the standard masking tooks. They are fine for some things. My preference is drawing a clipping object in Xara X with the shape edit tool. Overall, the mask is more precision. When the file is exported to a PNG, there are no fringe pixels scattered over the background. I fouond it takes less time in XX than in Knockout, and the mask is better. If you need to do some images with fuzzy edges, then KO may work a little better. Once you have made a clipview, and export to PNG, the file will retain the transparent area. Then selecting the background and inverting the selection will mask the image in other applications. I have tried the images in Mystical Lighting, and the transparent PNG gets the image mask. Rich

[molucca]

This was masked by drawing an object with the Xara X shape edit tool. I like being able to draw a precision mask along thin objects. I made color changes in Elements after exporting to a PNG file. Rich

[molucca]

The image has lots of fringe pixels, however, in Xara X they don't show. This masked fine in Mystical Lighting, also. This would be an exception, but everything else could be done in XX. Rich

[Clements]

I have KO as well and it can REALLY be effective and QUICK for complex shapes.

Version 2 is a Plugin!. It can be used with CorelPaint 10 or 11 AND with PhotoShop ... seemlessly with both.

KO is NOT CHEAP, however, unless you can find someone selling it on the Internet.

Keep in mind, what Jens has documented above ... Xara can accomplish a lot too. After "trimming-out" an image, you may want to play with blurring the edges a bit.

[qmr]

If you cant afford photoshop or photopaint I'd download Pixia, a free bitmap editing program that allows you to mask and paint as well as all the usual bitmap enhancing tools.. it's Japanese with input from wacom who make the tablets.

download Pixia and read how to use it here

Q