Learn More about Common Basics of Clipping Path & Make your e-commerce products sell 200% higher.

Clipping path is no doubt one of the most used techniques in image manipulation. This is largely because it determines to a large extent how attractive an image will end up. No matter the kind of image, this technique is capable of transforming it for more visual impact.

Clipping path is particularly relevant to digital images; that is, images intended for use on websites (including e-commerce sites), and other online projects like online catalogs. This is of course if they require manipulation.

What really is Clipping Path?

Clipping path is a shape or vector path used in segregating objects in digital images from their layer or background. As these images are clipped from their background, they can then be placed on a different one. Generally, the purpose of this process is to cut out or unravel some aspect of an image and then use for another image. Also, with the clipping paths technique, you can hide the part or aspect of an image you don’t want appearing on the page. For simplicity, you can think of it like a cropping tool, but in this case, it does not remain within the confines of clipping a square or rectangular box.

At the end of the process, whatever is within or inside the clipping path will be visible. On the other hand, anything outside the clipping path will be transparent. By transparent, I mean invisible; which also means that other page elements can flow over the top and not be hidden from view.

Why Clipping Path?

There have been times when we felt that a snap or photo would look more pleasant or better if we can only expel some pointless items and maybe add something else. All of this was aimed at making the photo look more staggering. Thanks to technological advancement, one industry that has undergone massive developments are the photo industry – particularly in digital imaging. A new era of photography has replaced the old and made it obsolete.

Now images can be manipulated in as many ways as possible with the help of techniques like clipping paths. From color to graphics resolution, to intensity, to point of focus, clipping paths make your image look more exuberant, more seasoned and satisfactory.

How are clipping paths drawn?

Basically, you need the Photoshop pen tool for drawing clipping paths. This pen is used to cut out an image or aspect of the overall layer. Once the path is drawn to the image, you can now apply a clipping path on it. Doing this implies that when it is placed in the layouts like Quark X Press, In Design, or Illustrator, only the section which was placed inside the path will be shown. This equally means that whatever lies outside the path will be omitted. At this point, you can apply a new background of your choice. Actually, it is not as easy as it sounds, and however, this basic explanation should get you started.

To sum up, apart from removing unnecessary and abstract details from an image, this technique also allows you to add what was not originally in the image but is essential for the purpose of the image.