Among the most difficult chore in Adobe Photoshop is separate complex objects from their background . It can be clock time - ingest and frustrating to isolate object like fuzz , tree branch , or animal fur using Photoshop ’s built - in survival of the fittest and masking feature . Fluid Mask 3.0.2 , a Photoshop chaw - in , can salvage you time and try and help you produce natural - looking cut - outs .

Fluid Mask does an excellent problem of keep apart and cutting out objects that have high line or astute edge from an image background . But the Cartesian product really smoothen in unmanageable situation where foregrounds and background are similar , or where objects have soft , unfocused edges . Fluid Mask analyzes an image and make schema at the edge of areas with distinct color and texture , breaking the image into region that you could take to keep or to delete . It also blends image border to avoid artificial - sounding , intemperately - butt against slash - out . The initial edge depth psychology occurs automatically and without noticeable hold .

Fluid Mask has become a popular cover tool for designers , graphical artists , and lensman since its initial release ( ) . Fluid Mask 3 admit a number of enhancement over its debut interlingual rendition and the subsequent rescript . The user interface now fill the blind and its tool palette , puppet options bar , and panels may look familiar to Photoshop user . The new Color Sampler tool , which choose color directly from the figure of speech , is utilitarian for build up masks found on color . The Patch feature come in in ready to hand for identifying and blending difficult edges in localized problem areas . So , if you ’re take bother outlining an edge in a particular area , you could use the Patch features to analyze that area separately , and to find and combine that portion of the sharpness .

Vertus is generous with its helper and technical school support . The company’sWeb siteoffers useful picture tutorial and complimentary , live Webcast preparation with a Fluid Mask expert . A Tips window , integrated into the production Help file cabinet , offers contextual information on whatever feature you ’re using at the moment . That ’s a luck more helpful than open a universal menu and searching through an entire help index number . The Fluid Mask manual , which is available both online and from the program ’s interface , is a well - written learning and reference tool .

All that assist will come in ready to hand , because there is a unconscionable learning curvature for apply the merchandise to complicated image . Fluid Mask offers secure outcome , but it is not a one - push tool . Strategizing about the unspoiled approach and feature set to use is important when you ’re assay to insulate a complex aim from its background using Fluid Mask .

Professionals , as well as prosumers who familiarize themselves with the product ’s feature , will find that Fluid Mask can increase their production efficiency and the quality of their slash - outs . There are other masking spark plug - ins , like Software ’s Mask Pro ( ) and Corel ’s KnockOut ( ) , on the market . Fluid Mask competes by offering veritable results and enhance feature film for complex cover job .

Fluid Mask can be used as a standalone lotion , or installed as a wad - in to Photoshop CS2 or CS3 ; within Photoshop , the tool is launched from the Filters carte du jour .

Macworld’s buying advice

Fluid Mask 3.0.2 is a very efficacious tool for separating object from their backgrounds . It offers a variety show of useful lineament for tackling almost any hard image , from wispy hair to complex leaf . Online TV tutorial and unrecorded preparation session help facilitate the learning curve .

[ Jan Kabili is a Photoshop author and trainer . Her latest movie series is Photoshop CS3 for the Web atlynda.com . ]

On startup , Fluid Mask automatically analyzes the mental image and outlines its border , prepare the picture for masking .