“What is a clipping path?” is a crucial question in Photoshop editing, as no professional-level edit is truly complete without using clipping paths.
Every photo editor relies on this technique, which is created using Photoshop’s pen tool. To excel as a photo editor, understanding clipping paths is essential.
What Is a Clipping Path?
A Clipping Path is a technique used to create a precise vector path or shape with the pen tool in Photoshop. It is a non-destructive method for removing or changing image backgrounds.
This method is primarily used to remove backgrounds or replace them with a white background. The pen tool, a powerful selection tool in Adobe Photoshop, is used to draw the path. Clipping paths are considered the most accurate way to achieve pixel-perfect selections.
Creating a path around a simple image is fairly straightforward, but handling a multi-layered image requires more effort and skill.
Depending on the complexity and purpose of the image, Photoshop and Illustrator offer three types of clipping paths:
-
Single Layer Path
-
Multi-Layer Clipping Path
-
Illustrator Clipping Path
Single Layer Path Photoshop:
Drawing a straightforward path along the hard edges of an image using Photoshop’s pen tool is called a Single Layer Path. Typically, the path is created on the same layer.
This technique is especially useful when you want to remove or replace the background quickly and efficiently.
Multi-layer Clipping Paths:
Creating paths across multiple layers using Photoshop’s pen tool is called a Multi-Layer Path. In other words, it involves extracting two or more subjects from an image by creating separate paths on the same background and removing the subjects individually.
Multi-Layer Paths are especially useful for retouchers, as they allow precise adjustments or modifications to specific parts of an image without affecting the rest.
Illustrator Path
In Illustrator, a Clipping Path refers to creating one or more vector shapes that follow the subject or specific parts of an image. It is a non-destructive path of any shape or design.
This technique allows you to resize images as needed without affecting their resolution, maintaining quality at any scale.
Why Is Clipping Path Important?
A clipping path is essential for extracting any subject from its background. Using the pen tool to carefully trace the edges of an image ensures a precise and accurate selection, even for complex images.
