How to Create a Removed White Background

Loremonger

Lawrence once wrote that the ultimate catalog picture would be a high quality photo with a removed white background. I've been submitting photos with just a plain piece of paper as the background. Does anyone have any tips on how to remove the background so it's just the piece? I tried with a magic wand in a photo editor, but the mask bled into the piece.

Enoch

Lawrence

I can't remember its name, but there is a different kind of the magic wand where you drag it around the item. With parts, I drag it over the item, then hold down shift and drag over the bits that it has got wrong. You can then select the inverse and delete it. I think if you hold down on the magic wand button on the toolbar it will show you the other types.

DagsBricks

I think it's called a lasso tool. I used to have access to Adobe tools and could make some nice images. Now I just use a couple white pieces of paper and change my camera to the 'documents' setting. I open the file in Irfanview, crop as needed and then adjust the brightness and contrast filters. Rarely I'll open it in Paint to fix some pixel issues but that's time consuming. Looks pretty good but I'd like it to be better.

So of course we should name some names here. What are we using, Adobe, Gimp, etc.?

Brian

Lawrence

I wasn't using the lasso tool, I can take ages, it's a variant of the wand I think. If you had a high contrast part, like a black or blue part on a white background, you could do an image in seconds. In my case I use Photoshop, I previously had to use it in another job.

theHellmouth

I'm using Preview (Mac OSx) and Gimp ... both with magic wand tool. Keep left mouse pressed and move left and right to adjust window for pixels to be joined in the selection. With a clear contrast it's indeed a matter of seconds.

rjmorton

I wasn't using the lasso tool, I can take ages, it's a variant of the wand I think. If you had a high contrast part, like a black or blue part on a white background, you could do an image in seconds. In my case I use Photoshop, I previously had to use it in another job.

Sounds like either the Magnetic Lasso Tool (which lets you trace around an image, but it uses intelligence to detect and bind to where the actual edge of the product is), or the quick selection tool - which lets you very quickly 'paint' to include and exclude areas - photoshop once again evaluates the image to work out where the edges of the item are.
Using both in conjunction with each other can be pretty powerful.

walstib

I have Adobe photoshop 5,

I use the polygonal lasso more often than the magnetic as I almost always have a problem shadow somewhere I end up fussing too long trying to make things work and end up taking the same amount of time. Items with straight lines it gets my vote for speed.

The pen tool is great for detailed stuff, it can have some of the properties of the magnetic lasso laying down the points, but then you can adjust each anchor point and change the curves.

budgetkids

I have Photoshop CS5 and just use a piece of paper than the "auto color" and it makes it pretty white. Not that white where the background is gone though.
I am not proficient at removing backgrounds with CS5. I know you can, I just don't know how. I think the piece of paper and "auto color" works great.

TheBrickMill

www.fotofuze.com -- online photo editor with white background removal in free or paid, depending on your needs. Use for all of my product photos

DagsBricks

Just downloaded and played with Gimp (just like a couple of years ago). Now I remember why I stuck with Irfanview. Way beyond me!

Brian

Aladine

@TheBrickMill: thank you. Just tried out Fotofuze, it's great (fast and easy even for me). So I hope, my future submissions will be better

Loremonger

Apparently, a quality photo is the best place to start. Who knew? So I just ordered a light tent on eBay for 12 bucks. You can also google how to make one for next to nothing, but I didn't want to mess with arts and crafts time. I hope to have a Canon T3 to work with soon. If not, I still have a decent point-and-shoot that should do well once I get the tent set up.

Here's to high-quality catalog images!

Enoch

sidersdd

I just did all the Series 1 set figs with a white background (my first attempt at doing the white background).
http://www.brickowl.com/catalog/lego-sets/collectable-minifigures/series-1

I essentially used Huw's tips from here:
http://www.brickset.com/miscellaneous/articles/minifigPhotography/

I'm planning to do the rest of the Series (2 thru 11, and Team GB). I'm going to try a slightly different approach with Series 2, as I found the Series 1 batch a bit too dark.

On a related note, the Tribal Hunter wasn't categorized in the Series 1 theme, so I updated that as well. Perhaps there is a caching issue as it's still not showing up with the other Series 1.

DagsBricks

Hold tight since those pictures might be coming directly from Huw!

Brian

minithingsforlife

I just did all the Series 1 set figs with a white background (my first attempt at doing the white background).
http://www.brickowl.com/catalog/lego-sets/collectable-minifigures/series-1

Those pictures are very good. Did you use a light tent and a flash. I have been to Huws house and seen his set up.

sidersdd

Hold tight since those pictures might be coming directly from Huw!

Brian

Are you saying the cartoony pictures that I replaced with actual photos? Or are you saying that Huw's minifig gallery of photos are coming soon? If the former, then I think it's preferable to have actual photos than the cartoony images. If the latter, then I agree Huw's minifig photos would be lovely to have here. However, the photos he has on Brickset aren't at the Set level - they don't have the black baseplate and accessories. They would be excellent for the Minifig primary images however.

sidersdd

I just did all the Series 1 set figs with a white background (my first attempt at doing the white background).
http://www.brickowl.com/catalog/lego-sets/collectable-minifigures/series-1

Those pictures are very good. Did you use a light tent and a flash. I have been to Huws house and seen his set up.

Thanks. Yes, I have a makeshift light tent. No flash though. There are three lamps which surround my light tent - two on the sides, and one on top. Not great, but works for the low budget.

DagsBricks

@Sidersdd The cartoony images are from TLG. I believe it's Huw's actual photos. I don't know to what extent, whether it's the sets as well.

Brian

AlbusDumbledore

I have Photoshop CS6 and use the Magnetic Lasso Tool, however for quick things I've used http://clippingmagic.com. It's pretty good for a free web based service!

DagsBricks

Played around with that site. Total. Awesome.