Cutouts

The cutout is an elusive yet sometimes overused element in news design. It has its appeal. In a world of modular design, an organic shape seems the all-to-easy answer for variety. Unneccesary cutouts can make a page look sloppy or hard to follow.

I recommend three steps in determining if your page can use a cutout efficiently and successfully.

1. Can your photos support a cutout? Is the subject in clear focus? Is there a lot of hair or fur that may cause extra work or detailing?
2. Can your page support a cutout? Does it have visual breathing room? With what will the cutout compete (is it the dominant art)?
3. Can your story support a cutout? "Fancy" designs do not make bad stories good. Readers should not be tricked into reading a below average story because of an above-average design.

If your page, photo and story can each support a cutout, there are various way to create the effect.

1. Layer Masks. In Photoshop, open the photo and double-click the background layer. Hit OK to make this layer 0. Click the layer and then the mask button at the bottom of the layers palette. With the mask selected, use the default colors (apple-d or ctrl-d) to paint or erase areas not to be used. Painting with black erases, and erasing with black adds (and vice versa). You can soften edges by adjusting your brush. When finished, save as a TIF with no layers. This creates a white background where the photo will not be seen.
   
   What if you want the cutout to go above another element on the page, so a white background won't work? Two options, depending on your pagination program. If using InDesign, save the file as a layered Photoshop file (PSD). Import the file into InDesign. Note: This may cause problems in exporting, and some older RIP processes may kick back the PDF or post script file.
   
   If using Quark, use the clipping path method described next.
2. Clipping Paths: Open the image in Photoshop. In the layers palette, click the Paths tab. Create a new path by clicking the button at the bottom of the palette. In the additional options menu (the circle with a triangle near the top of the palette), select clipping path. Hit OK.
   
   With the freeform pen tool, be sure the magnetic option is turned on at the top of the screen, then click and outline the subject in the photo. The magnetic pen will detect edges, but it will be rough. You can fine tune later. To close the clipping path, the pen tool cursor will show a circle. Once the path is complete, click on the direct select tool (the white arrow tool). Use this tool to move anchor points and handles until the path closely follows the subject's edge.
   
   Save the image as a TIF. The area outside the clipping path will disappear when it is placed into InDesign or Quark.