What is a clipping path?

A clipping path is a powerful Photoshop tool that allows you to remove, cut out, or “clip” an item or product from its background when other methods won’t work. This method is particularly useful when you have a product featured against a complex or multicolored background.

When to use a clipping path

There are many instances where clipping paths are useful:

• When you need to display a product against a plain or white background
• When you need to display your product against a transparent background
• When you want to place your product in a composite photo with several other products
• When you want to change the color of your product or a portion of your product (useful if you have the same product in multiple colors)
• Any time you need to isolate your product from the other parts of the photograph

How do you create a clipping path in Photoshop?

1. Set up your Pen tool
2. Draw a path around your product
3. Save your path
4. Create a clipping path
5. Create a selection from your clipping path
6. Create a clipping mask

Step 1: Set up your Pen tool

You’ll need to use the Photoshop Pen tool to create your clipping path. If you’ve ever used the Pen tool in Adobe Illustrator, you’ll notice that Photoshop’s Pen tool is almost the same.

Before you can start to use the tool, however, you’ll need to ensure your settings are correct so you actually create a clipping path and not a shape.

In your image document, select the Pen Tool. You can find it in the Toolbar, or you can type “p” to select it automatically. If you don’t see the Pen Tool, it may be hiding behind the Freeform Pen Tool, the Curvature Pen Tool, the Add Anchor Point Tool, the Delete Vector Point Tool, or the Convert Point Tool.