Clean edges when removing white background

[fypics]

Help!!!!   I am finding it absolutely impossible to cleanly remove the white background from images that are partially white.  I’m using photoshop. I have tried every recommendation online and nothing works properly.  I need to complete this assignment for a client and cannot produce a professional image without terrible edges.  It is taking me over three hours on one image because any of the tools I am using DO NOT cleanly select the object.   Is there anyone who has experienced this difficulty?

[John T Smith]

Please post the name of the program you use so a Moderator may move this message to that forum
-A program would be Photoshop or Dreamweaver or Muse or Premiere Pro or ???

[LucienSchilling]

Hi john,

OP is using Photoshop...

[LucienSchilling]

Generating cut-out with Photoshop is one of the most challenging problems you have.

The trouble here is that between the background and the foreground there is not a clean line, but both are getting mixed so that part of the background and part of the foreground both share the same pixel. You have several tools to do that job, the latest is "select the foreground", the classic tool is the magic wand and in-between there are several others. Any tool you use, be prepared for a time consuming need to correct the selection.

Some are using the path tool for this and that may work wonderfully great, some other (me inclusive) are using the paintbrush to paint a mask on the mask layer.

[David Cardillo, PRH]

Assuming Photoshop, under the Select menu > Select and Mask... > in addition to the other options and sliders, try Shift Edge at around 80%.

convserely you could just contract your selection (Select > Modify > Contract...) by around 2 pixels.

Yes, masking is hard. That's why some people get paid a lot of money to do it well.

[Nancy OShea]

I'm moving this question from Community Help to Photoshop where it belongs.

[davescm]

Can you post an example image - we should be able to advise better that way. (Use the blue reply button next to your first post and you will see the image attachment icon)
Dave