Summary
The only difference between my quick-and-dirty method and the posh
one involves the selection process. The pen tool is the preferred tool
of experts to select the edges of your subject. I agree that it can be
very good and often more precise. I have nothing against the pen tool,
and it is the best tool for more complex work and fussy backgrounds.
But, to be honest, I think it is often too much hassle with simpler
subjects (Figure 7.14), and you’ll get just as good results using the
magic wand tool in many cases, particularly with single-color back-
grounds, provided you are careful.
Another selection tool worth trying is the Quick Selection tool in
Photoshop CS3. I have started using this a lot more with recent images.
Use what you feel most comfortable with.
When you save your JPEG image, the path should be visible and
usable by designers. Make sure you mention in your description of the
image that a clipping path is included.
Software Shortcuts
There are software packages to make the job of creating paths or selec-
tions easier and faster. Use these, by all means, but note that they are
FIGURE 7.14 Saving the Clipping PathSOFTWARE SHORTCUTS 133