Change to Target & my version of quick mask for PSP

Open the picture you want to make changes to. Lighten or darken as needed using levels or curves.



Open a new raster layer above the background layer and set opacity between 46 and 50.



Select paintbrush and then choose a bright color that is NOT in the photo.



The shape should be round and the size is dependent on what you are going to be promoting to a layer or cutting the background from. I usually start with a size 25 (going up or down as needed). Hardness, again is going to be dependent upon what you are working with. Around sharp lines and curves I use around 84. Lowering it as I work with wispy objects. Step at 1. Density, Thickness and Opacity should be set at 100. Blend mode, normal. Rotation at 0.



Make sure you have the new raster layer chosen. Zoom in and start painting along the edges of your object(s).



Once you have finished along the edge making sure that the ends meet, select the flood fill tool with the same foreground color.



Fill the inside of your edges. As you can see from my example the fill did not reach all the way to the edges.



You can click the fill several more times or use a brush to close the gap.



Move the opacity up to 100 (I know you shouldn't have to but sometimes in the next step, it won't pick everything up).

Press control & A then control & F; finally control & shift & F. This selects the object(s) you just painted. Hide this layer and select your background layer.



Now you can do one of a couple of things.

1: promote to layer (selections>promote selection to layer). This will put a copy of your selection on a new layer.



2: Edit>copy. Edit>paste as a new image. This is great if you are going to use your object on another picture or as an element on your scrapbook page.



Control & d will deselect the marching ants.

For this demonstration, I am promoting to a layer. I am going to choose the tool that is between the paintbrush and eraser. Click on the pop out arrow and select change to target.



On my materials palette, I am going to make my foreground color as close to the original color of my carpet as I can.



Make sure the background layer is chosen. Then using the change to target I will paint the carpet on the background.



So why did I go to all the trouble of masking out and promoting my cars to another layer? So I wouldn't have to worry about whether I hit them with the target brush.



Words of note: This is much easier to do if you have a graphic pen. Next would be a mouse. I do not suggest using a trackball unless you are really, really comfortable with one.

Words of note: When working on a object that has straight lines, click on the start of the line, release then hold down the shift key and click on the end of the line.