Title: Using Channels to make Selections
Software: Photoshop
Author: spdfreak_95
Description: (Please read the following)

Selections can be made using a variety of different methods. But you first need to take a look at the image you are working with, and decide which method would be BEST suited for its intended result.
For me (and I'm sure everyone else would take the same approach), I would ordinarily opt to do the fastest/easiest method i.e. the Magic Wand Tool. We know this tool is good when there is a high degree of contrast between the intended selection area and the background; but 99.9% of the time this is not always the case. So we find ourselves slowly making our way through the other methods we may have learnt. These methods may include but are not limited to, the Extract Filter, the Magnetic Lasso Tool to maybe the masking method. And in some cases using the technique described in the following tutorial Using Channels to make Selections.
This method is often used when other methods have not given us the results we were expecting. I’m not saying this is the “Be all to end all� in method types for making selections. It’s just another method that can be added to your arsenal of techniques for making selections. In saying that however, this method is used where there are a lot of fine edges i.e. hair, fur, grass, leaves on trees etc. and the results obtained from using this method will yield far better results than any other.
The tutorial may look/sound complex at a glance, but in actual fact its easy and not a long process at all, and some amazing results can be had by using this technique. What is hard however, is making the best adjustments possible in the Levels Options (Step Four)

STEP ONE

Open a RGB image (or convert your image to RGB... (Go to>Image>Mode>RGB)).



STEP YWO

Go to the Channels Palette.(There should be a Tab next to the Layers Tab called Channels). If not, go to Windows>Channels.

You now need to decide which Channel Colour (Red, Green or Blue) will give you the best starting point for making a black and white mask. Toggle through each colour and select the colour with the best contrast. For this tutorial Green was the best option.

Here’s the result I got for step two



STEP THREE

Duplicate the channel by dragging the Green Channel down to the New Channel icon (as indicated by the arrow in the image below). Make sure its active (i.e. the one you are working on).



STEP FOUR

Go to>Image>Adjustments>Levels (Ctrl+L)

Now move the left and right sliders towards the centre (as illustrated below) to make your channels’ light areas lighter and the darker areas darker….



Basically, what we are trying to do here is give the best contrast of black and white over the entire image. (Make sure you focus on what you want to be selected…. (the hair) These are the areas where you want the contrast most to take place…. Don’t worry about the other areas at this stage).
Once you are happy with the contrast obtained click OK.

NOTE: (It’s not going to be perfect, but we want it to be as close to black and white as possible)

Here are the settings I have used for this example (They will vary from image to image).



Here is the result I got for Step Four



STEP FIVE

Make sure you have your Foreground and Background colours set at default (Black and White), and start to paint with the Brush Tool all the light areas with white and the darker areas with black
You need to make sure that all of the black area (circled in image below), is completely filled i.e. the small white dots and the dogs’ nose etc, because this is the area that will “end up� being our selection and any white dots left inside the black mask will not be selected (i.e. appear transparent)



Here is the result I got for Step Five



STEP SIX

At this stage it is a good idea to give the channel a Gaussian Blur of 0.5-1.0 pixel.
(Go to>Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur). I used a Radius of 1.0
This will eliminate some of the hard jiggered edges


STEP SEVEN

Load the channel as a selection (Ctrl+clicking the Alpha Channel).
Next, Go to Selections>Inverse (Ctrl+I)
While still in the Channels Palette, click on the RGB Channel (to make active). All the other channels should now be visible
Go back to the Layers Palette by clicking the layers Tab


STEP EIGHT

Select the Background Layer (original image)
Go to Edit>Copy (Ctrl+C)
Go to Edit>Paste (Ctrl+V)
Your selection of the image should now be on its own layer.

Here is the final result that I got with a gradient background and a drop shadow added. It has a sound for those curious

Sorry for the slightly smaller size of the final image (It was the largest file size allowed here for a flash file)

HEY!!!! I recognize this tut lol now where have I seen this I wonder

Awesome stuff thankyou sincerely





Can't recall the settings we have it on but it was mainly to keep swfs within forum dimensions, pm me the size and i will change it K

LOL! You actually gave me the idea that I should post this here.
No need to change the file size setting I think. Its only slightly smaller and I'm sure people will get the idea

No prob Trueer.... anything for another "KIWI"

Well done spdfreak_95, thank you very much for making this tutorial. I use this method my self sometimes when all options run low haha its so much better than tracing the pic with the lesso tool and not the magnet cuz it goes all over, grabing the grass and what not.

FM

wow thats great!

might need this for the client site I'm working on right now, indeed much better than the lasso tool!

thx a lot

Excellent tut, spdfreak! Explained very well.

And I am also shocked at you lasso haters! The lasso tool is your friend...

Excellent tutorial.

I never used channels thanks to this i see how they can be useful

Thanks to this tut I'm trying something been putting off but know I should learn (channels are GOOD for u ) and did everything right, I think, up to last step:
You said 'load the channel as a selection- ctrl click on alpha channel'- I clicked on the green copy channel- is that the 'alpha' channel?, selecting that, and loaded it (select>load selection) was that right? finsihed step 7, but when I went to layers palette in step 8, there was only one layer, called 'Layer 0'. What did I do wrong If u can help, thanks so much

Hi Lakeside,
Glad to hear you are giving this tut a go.....OK to answer your questions.

The Alpha Channel is the "colour channel" you should have dupicated and should've been making the adjustments on.....OK

To load this as a selection.... you had to Ctr+Click this alfa channel (simply place your cursor over the alfa channel then ctr+click it).... done

Next, Go to Selections>Inverse (Ctrl+I)
While still in the Channels Palette, click on the RGB Channel (to make active). All the other channels should now be visible
Go back to the Layers Palette by clicking the layers Tab

When you do return to the layers palette.... Yes! there will be only one layer there.... your "original".
With the selection loaded you will be copying from this layer (with your selection) and pasting it on its own layer as (Step Eight)...... as follows.

STEP EIGHT

Select the Background Layer (original image)
Go to Edit>Copy (Ctrl+C)
Go to Edit>Paste (Ctrl+V)
Your selection of the image should now be on its own layer.

I hope this has helped you out... if not giv'is a yell.
Regards,
spd

Heyy SpdFreak! Thank You for the quick and detailed reply- tried again and...
it worked! Last time, the layer said 'Layer 0', but this time it was 'background', and the channel pasted properly...who knows what I did before, only glad my $%&** cat woke me up and I saw your nice reply cheers

great tut...

I too would always opt for the magic wand...
looks like I'm gonna have to test this method out...
your end result certainly was worth the effort.

Mike.

Woohoo!.
I'm glad it worked for you Lakeside..... and also for having learnt a new method in making selections.
Regards,
spd

P@mike45.....Thanks for the nice words/comments. They are much appreciated.
Regards,
spd

Great work Spd! Really nice to see a master's work.


::Cheers!::

Fred

Awesome tut. I love lasso's and now getting this tool under my belt...so to speak.

nice tut.i have learnt a new method in making selections.
thnx

lol sweat tut... Dont really know when i would use it though.

Excellent

Result is really nice

thanks

it's

very easy to follow