Feathering selections to transparency in a non-uniform way.

[bill_rundell1]

<p>I want to make cut-outs (for example of people)<br /> to use in complex montages.<br /> The external part of the selection should fade<br /> to transparency - not uniformly with distance but up to a second<br /> outer boundary which might have a very different<br /> shape from the cut-out (so the feather command won't work).<br>

<br /> Since this will likely be done with a mask, can view this<br /> as the following: I have two closed curves one inside<br /> the other (but they may be far from the same shape<br /> as may their distance apart).<br /> I want the interior curve to be solid black,<br /> the exterior of the outer curve to be transparent and a<br /> smooth black-to-transparent gradient between them.<br /> <br /> My current method is to fill the inner curve solid black,<br /> use the radial gradient starting at one point on<br /> the inner curve and ending at outer curve along a radial line,<br /> and then use the paint/erase tool at low opacity to make a<br /> better approximation to the desired gradient.<br /> Finally I use a gaussian blur to smooth it out.<br /> This can take quite some time.<br /> <br /> Is there a way I can do this quickly assuming I have saved<br /> both inner and outer curves as selections?<br /> I am using photoshop elements 6.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

[ronald_moravec1]

<p>Can you do a cut out of the main element, place it on a black background, then go around the black with a soft edged erasser using just the outside edge. Vary the size and softness of the brush to get the blend you desire. The larger the brush, the greater the edge gradient is for a given selected amount of brush softness.</p>

<p>Go in close to the montage element and you get a narrow black ring. The harder the brush, the more abrupt the transition to transparency.</p>

<p>If you stay further away, use a large brush at a soft setting, you get a wide black ring with a longer gradient.</p>

<p>Start with large soft brush and work in with smaller harder brushes in the required areas. </p>

[bill_rundell1]

<p>Ronald,</p>

<p>This is pretty much what I have been doing and it it does take some time<br>

-especially when I am combining over a dozen individual pictures.<br>

Some final brushwork is always necessary, but when I have<br>

been able to use an automated gradient (when for example both<br>

inner and outer curves are rectangles - by combining gradients<br>

in the N-S and E-W directions) the result looks quite a bit smoother<br>

than the "by hand" brush strokes unless I have taken a lot of time over it.<br>

PS has so many buttons to do amazing things<br>

that I was hoping there might be one for this - or a clever<br>

trick to take advantage of existing gradient options.</p>