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How To Make a Clipping Path in Photoshop

What is a clipping path?

You can use image clipping paths to define transparent areas in images you place in page-layout applications. For example, you may want to use a foreground object

and exclude the background. An image clipping path lets you isolate the foreground object and make everything else transparent when the image is printed or placed in another application.

The Problem

You have an image that you’ve edited in Photoshop. You want (or have made) part of it transparent. But, when you move the image into Quark, there is a square box around the picture.

The Solution

In order for your image to show up as transparent in Quark, you’re going to need to make a clipping path for it in Photoshop.

1. Start by opening your image in Photoshop.
2. The first thing you need to do is decide what part of the image you want to be transparent. Most of the time, it’s the background. You need to select your image (the part you want to show). It’s usually easiest to select the background and then inverse your selection.
   1. Select the background of your image.
      
   2. From the top Menu Bar, select "Select > Inverse."
      
3. Open the Paths window if it is not already open. From the top Menu Bar select "Window > Paths." The Paths tab is in the Layers palette.
   
4. Make a work path from your selection by clicking on the icon at the bottom of the Paths palette.
   
   You should see the work path pop up.
   
5. Save your work path by clicking in the circular button on the top right of the Path palette. A contextual menu will pop up. Select "Save Path…" Press OK in the Save Path dialog box.
   
6. Make a clipping path by again clicking on the circular button on the top right of the Path palette. A contextual menu will pop up. Select "Clipping Path…" Press OK in the Clipping Path dialog box.
   
7. You now have your clipping path. The finished path should look like this (notice the outlined text):
   
8. Save your photoshop file.
9. Open Quark.
10. Either insert your image into your Quark document (File > Get Picture) or update the image if you have already imported it (Utilities > Usage). Your image should now be transparent in Quark.