soften edges of cut out

[Patrick Bell]

I have cut out an oval from an image but I want to soften the outline so it blends with the background on the webpage I want to use it on. Something like a graduated border of increasing transparency to its edge (the border being oval).

[Dazzler]

Which software are you in Patrick?

[Dazzler]

Actually it's pretty much the same in either software. Create an oval shape using the oval shape tool. In Photo you can use the gaussian blur live filter on it to get the softness, in designer you use the fx gaussian blur. Then use the rasterise the mask on that oval layer and it will mask anything on the layers below. Then export as a PNG with transparency in order for that to work on the web.

[John Rostron]

Or you can make an oval selection then feather the edge to soften it before copying or cutting out the selection. You can then choose File  > New from Clipboard.

Again, you must export as PNG with transparency.

John

[carl123]

Using the Blur Brush Tool around the border of the oval image may be enough

[Dazzler]

50 minutes ago, carl123 said:

Using the Blur Brush Tool around the border of the oval image may be enough

Sorry Carl, hate to disagree, but I wouldn't do this - it's inaccurate, and will take you a heck of a lot longer. Wrong tool for the job!

The blur brush tool is really for specific case uses, such as softening a tiny detail on a photo - it's not really for large scale even softness. Using Gaussian blur gives a much cleaner and very consistent result. Same goes for the burn-in / dodge tools. They are tools that mimick traditional media before there were much better ways of doing things in the digital realm. If you want to burn-in / dodge make an adjustment layer and use the brush on the mask, that way you get control over where the effect is applied, as well as control over the amount of affect even after you've applied it. If you try and do the same using the dodge / burn-in tools you are destroying your original picture and the only way to go back is to hit the history and undo, not a very good way of working.

I know a lot of people struggle with masking and adjustment layers with masks etc, but it really is worth the effort to learn how it all works, as it'll save you so much time in the long run, and you'll find you'll hardly ever need to use the history to undo stuff. Everything just stays much more adjustable.
 

[PixelPest]

In AD "Mask to below will work either:

[Patrick Bell]

No. Not getting it. I cannot single out the shape to select separately so gaussian blur applies to the whole selection, not the edge.

Nor can I figure out how to remove the (now irrelevant) screen shots I uploaded. Because I am just now stuck with being unable to isolate the maskeded outline

 

lemasferatmain.afdesign

[PixelPest]

Almost there. Just select the "mask shape" and add layer effects->Gaussian Blur:

lemasferatmain4U.afdesign

[Dan C]

1 minute ago, PixelPest said:

Just select the "mask shape"

I've attached a quick recording showing this, as you need to select this layers thumbnail to select the mask only, not the pixel image!
 

[Patrick Bell]

Thanks, little things can help!