Cutting from a busy background

1. Open up your image and take out the Polygonal lasso tool or Pen Tool (I prefer the pen tool). You must change pen tool mode from Shape Layers to Paths. Do this by clicking this box at the top left. Go > Image > Image Size > double the size of your image. This will allow you to add a feather without the opacity around the edges. It will also provide us with a nice and smooth cut. Should do this:

2. Zoom in to the size you feel most comfortable with. Duplicate your image layer and delete the original.

3a. Now with the polly tool or pen tool slowly and care fully go around your cut (Pen tool is easy to handle. Simply click somewhere along the edge of the image you want to cut and keep doing so untill you get all the way around or do it in portions.

3b. To make a selection with the pen tool simply conect the end to the begining and RIGHT CLICK > Make selection). Leave feather on 0

If you are using Marquee Tool

3c. If you are using marquee do this in portions because some times if you click the same place twice the end of the line and beginning will automatically connect which means you must start all over.

3d. Once you are done cutting your image out hold CTRL and click the image layer. You will now see the image selected (if you cut it).

4. Right click inside the image and SELECT INVERSE (only if you went all around. If you did it in parts then you do not need to do this). You can also do Select (top menu) > Inverse.

5. Right click outside the image and select FEATHER (I myself use 1 Pixel Feather).

6. Doing too much feather will still leave an opacity even though we doubled the size.I myself when I cut this way used .5 or 1. Click ok and press delete (do it a few times. I myself go crazy with it. The more you click the more opacity you will loose in a range of 1-3 pixels). But since the image is doubled you will not notice it at all once you resize it.

7. Now resize your image to the original size. Create a new layer and set it under your cut. We will use this layer to test your cut. Test it on FFFFFF, 000000, and the GR backround color 27323B. If everything looks good then delete the backround layer and save your image as a PNG.

8. If there is something you missed double the size again and fix it. Finished Product [link]

Alternatives to Feather

1. Layer > Matting > Defringe Choose 1 pixel and it will erase the bg that was left over. Some times the result is good and some times it doesn\'t come out as planed.

Cutting Fire/Gun Fire

1. Cut around the edge of the fire or gun fire.

2. Now select the Smudge tool. (size depends on how big the fire is) Now slowly go around the edges untill you perfect it to what you want. It should only be used around the edges and as little as possible.

Cutting Hair

1. Cut around the edge of the hair. Do a .5 - 1 pixel feather on it.

2. Some times simply going around doesn’t cut it and you must improvise and make your own hair. This is where the clone tool comes in. Grab it then set the opacity to about 50 percent (all depends on the color of the hair). (Brush size: 2 - 5) Now slowly and carefully begin creating your own strands. Here is my result after about 3 minutes. I basically Just touched it up and got rid of the opacity and made it look darker around the edges to add a more realistic feel and get rid of fading effect that the feather gave it. The more time you spend on it the better your result will be.