How to mask Hair in Photoshop

Today i want to show you how cut out hair without loosing any hair by Photoshop tool. I have found many masking Tutorial but there are many issue with the masking. Today i want to show you how cut out hair accurately. There are many hair masking method in Photoshop such as :

Background Eraser Masking.
Alpha Channel Masking.
Clipping Masking.
Color Range Masking etc.

Step 1 : Need Clipping Path Around the image

I suggest to use Photoshop CS3, CS5, CS6, CC Open Photoshop with your desire image. Duplicate the layer Open Photoshop with your image . First you will need clipping path around the image. Then duplicate the the main layer (Ctrl+j or cmd+j ) and take two layer under the duplicate layer. One layer 100% Black and other layer will be pure white.

Step 2 : Setup the Brush and Background Eraser tool

Then i am going to masking hair without losing any single hair and hair color. Select the Background Eraser tool and setup the Brush. Brush Hardness 100% and Spacing 25%. Setup the brush Top navigation of the Photoshop sampling once , Limits : Discontiguous Tolerance : As Needed.

Step 3 : Feather and Erase Background

Select the path then control+enter or cmd+enter or click. Then inverse the path Select>inverse or Shortcut (Shift+Ctrl+I or Shift+cmd+I). give the feather (Select>Modify>Feather) 0.3%. Then Erase the background.

Step 4 : Removing White shades

After Erasing we are all most done. It would seem that the end of our work but there is many quality issue. We didn’t see there any dust and spot but there are many Dust and Spot and white shades. We are going to remove white shades. Click the Background Eraser tool and setup the brush Hardness: 0% and spacing: 25% and select the Sampling : Background Swatch , Limits : Discontiguous and Tolerance : 60-80%. Select the path and Ctrl+ enter or Cmd+ enter then inverse the layer (Shift+crtl+I or Shift+cmd+I) and give the feather (select>modify>feather) 0.5%. Erase around the hair. It’s a great way to remove White shades. Make sure your your foreground color and Background color default.

Step 4: Checking Hidden Dust and Spot

After all process it seems to be all are done. But you are wrong there many Dust and Spot around the hair we are going to check the issue. How can we check ? It’s very simple and easy lets start by curve tool. First make the Background Pure white the take curve and turn the slider or input 253. After this process There are many Hidden dust and spot will be show. It’s really amazing tool to check quality of masking. see the screen shot below.

Step 5: Removing Hidden Dust and Spot

After completing all process we have see that there many dust and spot around the hair. We are going remove the dust and spot. Select the Erase tool and setup the brush tool. I always use Spatter 59 pixel brush tool. Set the opacity and flow 100%. The Erase the layer around the hair. It’s a great way to remove the dust and spot from the hair.

Now you change your Background easily without loosing any hair and color. It gives you mental satisfaction to change your background. It’s a simple but accurate hair masking method.