Common Difference Between Clipping Path Service and Photo Masking Service

A lot of people often get confused between clipping path service and photo masking service. Even those who have been using the photo editing software like Photoshop for a long time often fail to tell the difference. However, there are some really clear differences between the two.

What we know is that both these tools have the same objective – separating an object in the photo from its background (or for that matter rest of the photograph.) But the processes they used to achieve the same results are completely different. The isolation of the object from the background follows different path in both the cases. Here are some of the things you would want to know about both these features to understand the differences between them.

Clipping Path

Clipping technique is used to create an invisible trace around the edges of a particular object or to enclose a particular area in an image. Image editing tools like Adobe Photoshop have special clipping tools which make the job easier. When an object is traced using the clipping path then it is ready to be removed from the background or the rest of the image. In fact, it is even possible to print only the particular portion which has been isolated by clipping path without actually having to remove it from the image. Pen tool is the most commonly used tool for drawing the clipping path. But you need to be very careful while doing that as a small mistake can render all your efforts waste.

Clipping path usually works best when the edges are regular and sharp. If you are working on a raster graphic you can use the clipping path technique quite effectively to retrieve an object from the image.

Photo Masking

Just like clipping path, photo masking also helps in isolating the portion of the image from the background. However, it works very differently. Instead of removing the specific portion from the image, it hides or masks that portion of the image which is not required. So, if you need to separate an object from the background, instead of pulling it out, you will simply mask the background or vice versa. Masking works in two colours – white and black. The area of the layer masked in black is hidden and the one with white is revealed.

One of advantages of photo masking over clipping path is that it is reversible. You can reveal the hidden portion by alternating black mask with white.