Feathered outline not cloning

JE
Posted By
Jeffrey Ellis
Dec 15, 2006
Views
324
Replies
12
Status
Closed
I have an image where i selected an edge all around the subject, then feathered by about 25 pixels.

I then started using this image along with a bunch of other layers. I didn’t notice that while the image looked fine against the background as it was set, when I changed it, i realized I somehow got a piece of the background permanently a part of the feathered portion of the image. So I figured to simply clone the rest of the feathered portion and cover the bad bit.

However, even though I have merged the layer so to be sure there are no effects on the layer, and even tried merging the layer with itself, and with a black background (which is background I’m now using with it), when I try to either clone or copy any portion of the feathered part of the image and then attempt to move it, it changes color! I can’t get it to match because it seems to keep shifting depending on where it’s moved.

I can’t get this to stop happening… help!
Related Tags
clone feather outline

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R
Ram
Dec 15, 2006
when I try to either clone or copy any portion of the feathered part of the image and then attempt to move it, it changes color

Yeah, I would expect it to.
B
Buko
Dec 15, 2006
Put it on a new layer then merge it with the layer you want.
JE
Jeffrey Ellis
Dec 15, 2006
Tried that. Nothing I can think of will work.

Why would this be expected may I ask?

All My Best,
Jeffrey
R
Ram
Dec 15, 2006
Because the feathered portion is —by definition— not at 100% opacity, so the background will show and mix in.
JE
Jeffrey Ellis
Dec 15, 2006
Ok. But why can’t I eliminate that by merging with the background layer and cloning? That doesn’t work either.
R
Ram
Dec 15, 2006
Same reason, Jeffrey. You need to clone before you feather.
JE
Jeffrey Ellis
Dec 15, 2006
Sorry. Maybe I’m just being dense, but if there’s a full background behind the feather, then the whole layer has 100% opacity. How can the feather still retain some sort of separate opacity. They’re just different colored pixels on a background at that point…
R
Ram
Dec 15, 2006
Well, if you were right, you would be getting the results you think you ought to be getting. 😉

How do you think the feathering is achieved?

Maybe we’re just talking past each other and I’m not following you. All I can say is that, based on my understanding of what you are doing, you are getting the results I would expect.
B
Bernie
Dec 15, 2006
They’re just different colored pixels on a background at that point…

No, they’re just different coloured pixels. Period. If they’ve been merged, theyre’ not on a backgrond anymore.

Perhaps posting a sscreen capture would help?

<http://www.pixentral.com>
JE
Jeffrey Ellis
Dec 16, 2006
np. I found a workaround for the problem in any case…

Thanks again 🙂
B
Buko
Dec 16, 2006
Can you tell us your work around?
JE
Jeffrey Ellis
Dec 16, 2006
Maybe workaround was too good a phrase.

Basically I used the lighten tool and then the darken tool, both set to very low opacity, about 5%, to fill in the area I was missing after the image had been moved. I matched the feather effect as closely as possible, using the lighten tool first, then if any area got too hot, the darken tool, until it all looked like it roughly matched.

Some areas which had no feather at all had to be filled in with the brush tool, set again to low opacity, and airbrush.

I then used the blur tool to make it all blend in.

I wish I had found a better method.

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