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RJS55
Known Participant
August 10, 2025
Answered

Select Background Mask Introduces Noise--How to Rectify?

  • August 10, 2025
  • 2 replies
  • 412 views

I use Lightroom Classic and more than once the Select Background and the Select People Masks introduce a very fine white outline to subjects.  It is particularly noticeable with with B&W images that have dark subjects against a light background.

 

Has anyone else experienced this and is there a workaround in LrC?

 

Thanks,

 

R

Correct answer KR Seals

Intersect is an option you will see when right clicking on an existing mask. I find it's easier to understand if you think of Intersect as "masking a mask".

 

2 replies

JohanElzenga
Community Expert
JohanElzengaCommunity Expert
Community Expert
August 19, 2025

What you can try is intersect (hold down the Alt/Option key, then the 'Add' and 'Subtract' buttons change to an 'Intersect' button) the mask with the same mask. Another thing I found is that object masks are often better (less fringing) than whole people masks.

-- Johan W. Elzenga
R
RJS55Author
Known Participant
August 21, 2025

Hi Johan, I am intrigued by your answer but don't understand your recommendation.  What does "intersect" refer to?

JohanElzenga
Community Expert
JohanElzengaCommunity Expert
Community Expert
August 21, 2025

I described that in my message. Technically, Intersect subtracts an inverted mask. It sounds strange that subtracting an inverted mask of the same object would do anything at all, but try it and you'll see that is does in a subtle way.

 

-- Johan W. Elzenga
Srishti_Bali
Srishti_Bali
Legend
August 19, 2025

Hi @RJS55,

 

Sorry for the delayed response. Hopefully, the issue is resolved by now. If not, could you please share a few more details so we can investigate further? For example:

  • Which version of Lightroom Classic and macOS you’re using

  • Whether this happens with all images or only specific ones

  • The file type and size you’re working with

  • If the issue started after a recent update

  • Few screenshots of the issue?

 

This information will help us determine whether it’s a known behavior or something specific to your setup.

 

 

Regards,

Srishti

R
RJS55Author
Known Participant
August 21, 2025

Hi Srishti,  After some digging into my library I discovered that the white fringe on the high contrast person is likely from my camera.  It seems to have been there in the jpg from the camera.  Which raises the question  "how do I remove it.?"

 

You can the artifacts in both of the attached photos. There is a white aura around the head of the figure at right.  It is really noticible in the B&W file.

So to answer your questions:

  • I am on a 2019 iMac running Sonoma 14.2.1
  • It only happens occasionally.  It has happened with images from more than one camera.
  • I imported the color jpg into LrC.  The B&W wend out as a jpg and was created with the help of Nix 6 Dfine and Nix 6 Silver Efex Pro. It came back to me as a .tif where the issue was strongly evident.
  • The issue surfaced a while back, too.

Any help you can give to remedy this using LrC or PhotoShop will be greatly appreciated.

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