Clipping Path is a generated outline that represents a series of smooth straight lines, or the desired shape of the object which needs to be modified or cut out from the current image which is under process.

A path is defined or an outline is drawn around the object which has to be included in the image. There are two paths defined in clipping path the first one is the inclusive path which is the one where what is visually “inside” the path corresponds to what will be preserved. The second path is the exclusive path, what is visually “outside” the path. Anything which is inside the path or the outline will be included after the clipping path is applied to the respective image which has to be clipped. All the things outside the path or the outline which we have created during the clipping path will be omitted from the final image. Clipping path, Color Mask/Multiple Clipping Path and masking are the most common and the most popular techniques used today by all the leading graphic professionals all over the world. Various tools are used like the Pen tool, Magic wand tool, Lasso tool are used initially to erase the part from the image which we feel like removing from the background of the image. Accuracy and credibility are the features which only the experts in the clipping path field can deliver.
You can also say that clipping path is a way of making an image opaque from the rest in the picture. There are many times when we feel that the picture or snap would look better or more picturesque with the lovely background or removing the unnecessary objects from the image to make it more stunning. It is indeed a great way to make your picture look lively and to add a different meaning to your original picture with a totally different edge to the picture. The benefiting entities from Clipping Path are numerous. You can use them in an array of things like from catalogs, magazines, brochure, to posters and they can also be used for various online purposes like for an example the e-commerce websites which are very much in use today. The idea remains that the older image or the photograph is enhanced via various methods to make the picture or the image look more presentable, adding more of zeal and appeal to it and hence aggravating the overall marketing standards of the following image to give it a different meaning.

How to Make a Photoshop Clipping Path:

Step 1
Open your image and select the Pen Tool(You can find Pen tool from Tools list,Window>Tools) and the Paths option located in the left corner menu bar (as opposed to the Shape Layers option, so that you don’t get a color-filled and stroked shape).

There are also few tools those we can use for creating path. Bellow are time-saving alternatives of Pen tool.

The Magic Wand: Use this to select a color range. It will select the block of color, or transparency, based on wherever you click. In the Options Bar at the top, you can change the Tolerance to make your selections more/less precise.

Polygonal Lasso Tool: Ok, this should be the Lasso Tool, but I use the Polygon Lasso a lot more often. Use this to draw selections in whatever shape you would like. To close the selection, either click on the beginning point (you’ll see the cursor change when you’re on it), or just double-click. When holding the [Ctrl] key, you’ll see the cursor change, and the next time you click, it will close your selection.

Lasso Tool: is a wonderful way to show you exactly how much your hand shakes when you’re trying to trace the edge of something. Note that heavy drinking will slightly dull this phenomenon. Feel free to spend weeks of your life re-editing your selection with the Lasso to make it look half as good as if you’d used the Pen Tool.

Magnetic Lasso: prepare to be amazed by this breakthrough algorithm that uses advanced Russian mathematics to get your hopes up. It still isn’t nearly as accurate or as flexible as the Pen Tool.

But these tools don’t bring proper output as like as Pen Tool. So Pen Tool is perfect for Clipping path.

Your eyes + Pen Tool = perfect

Step 2
Select “Window” from the menu bar and click “Paths.” This will open the “Paths” palette. Click the pull-out menu on the upper right and select “Make Work Path.” Select the appropriate tolerance; higher tolerance numbers mean more detail, lower numbers less detail. Click “OK.” The Path pull-out menu will be displayed. Click “Save Path,” type a name for the path in the dialog box and click “OK.”

Step 3
Display the Path pull-out menu again. Choose “Clipping Path,” and set the options. For “Path,” select the path to be saved. If the “Flatness” value is left blank, Photoshop will use a default value. A low flatness value means the greater the number of straight lines used to draw the curve and therefore the more precise the curve. Flatness values range from 0.2 to 100. For low resolution printing, a flatness setting of one to three is recommended; for high resolution printing, use a value between eight and 10. Click “OK.”

Now let’s get clipping. It’s important to zoom into your image at least 200% so you can really see the edge of what you’re tracing. Zoom more if you want, but 200% is usually good enough.

If you’re tracing a figure, your clipping path needs to slightly shrink the image by staying just inside of the fuzzy pixels on the outer edge. If you include too many of those far-edge pixels you’ll get the dreaded “halo” around your figure when the background pixels are included inside the clipping area. Don’t worry too much about getting it perfect – you can always tweak your path later to tighten the selection.

Start in the middle of a flat section and click-drag in the direction that you’re drawing to bring out the point’s curve handles – for some reason I always go clockwise around the figure. If you want straight lines, just shift-click between points. You can adjust a point by CMD-clicking (CNTRL-clicking) it to move it, OPT-clicking (ALT-clicking) it in the center to evenly move both curve handles, or by OPT (ALT)-clicking each handle to adjust only that side of the curve. To add a point in the middle of a section, just move your mouse over the line until you get the (+) on the cursor and click to add a point. To continue drawing your path, CMD-click (CNTRL-click) the end point and continue along the edge.

Trace all around your figure until you re-connect with the starting point.
Curved Sections: work better when you put points on either side of the corner instead of just one in the middle, but this is up to you. Try different placement to get the most accurate line with the least amount of points. Simple is better.

Hollow Sections: If you need a “donut hole”, for example, if it’s a person with their hand on his wrist, and the background shows between their arm and body, start a new line using the same Work Path (selected in the Paths palette).

Step 4
Convert the file to the correct color mode if necessary. Use CMYK color mode if the file will be printed using process colors.

Step 5
Choose the correct file format. For printing to a PostScript printer, save as file format EPS, DCS or PDF. Save the file as a TIFF for non-PostScript printing. Select “Save As” under the “File” menu on the menu bar. The “Save As” dialog box will appear. Choose the appropriate format in the “Save As” field and type a name in the “File Name” field. Navigate to the location where the file is to reside. Click “Save.”

Why we will use Clipping Path:
A clipping path is a means to make parts of an image opaque and parts of an image transparent. Usually it is used to “knock out” the background. It is also a way of changing the rectangular-shaped boundary of a bitmap image into a shape of your choice. After cutting out the subjct from background, now  we can place the subject over a new background or simply place it over a plain white background. For this part you have to follow bellow instruction:

Open the file with Photoshop on which we created Clipping Path. Now press Ctrl key and click on Path for selecting path area.

Now press Ctrl+J, it will create a new layer by copying selected path area. Then click the pull-out menu on the upper right and select “New Layer”  and set any color OR image on this layer.

Now look at bellow picture…..:)

That should be enough about Clipping Path. So get practicing, and make yourself a clipping genius.

Credit: istockphoto.com

Photo credit: pittsburghweddingessentials.com