Digital Photographer's Software Guide - Bertemes - Net

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The Digital Photographer's Software Guide
ArcSoft Cut-It-Out
Vendor: ArcSoft
Purpose: Speedy, accurate mask creation for separating objects from their backgrounds
Description
ArcSoft Cut-It-Out has features similar to Photoshop’s Extract command, but has been
designed to be slightly easier to use. It has fine-tuning options that let you attend to the
edges and smoothing tools to cover up any mistakes.
Comments
ArcSoft is constantly in the process of beefing up its image-editing capabilities, Cut-It-
Out being an example of a tool that will become part of a more advanced image editor
than ArcSoft PhotoStudio. It does its job well, by all accounts, but the price is high for
a single-function plug-in.
Version: ArcSoft Cut-It-Out 1.0 (2008)
Plugs into: Photoshop 6, 7, 8, and CS; Photoshop Elements; and ArcSoft PhotoStudio 5.5
OS: Windows 2000, XP, and Vista
RAM: 128MB
Supported file formats: As host program
Price level: Approx. $100
Address: ArcSoft Corporate Headquarters, 46601 Fremont Blvd., Fremont, CA 94538, United
States
www.arcsoft.com
EZ Mask
Vendor: Digital Film Tools
Purpose: Interactive image-masking tool for extracting objects from images
Description
EZ Mask, as its name suggests, is an easy-to-use masking tool, although it comes from
a vendor of professional movie matting software. It cuts out a foreground object from
the background, regardless of what is depicted in the image. Having created a mask,
you can then composite the object with an alternative background, blending the two
seamlessly together.
To use EZ Mask is very quick. You draw broad brushstrokes around the image to create
samples that the software uses to calculate the difference between foreground and
background pixels. This technique requires no precise drawing skills whatsoever. Once
the software has the information, it makes the mask automatically.