Adobe® Photoshop® CS2 Studio Techniques

Clipping Paths

You can also assign a path to a document, as opposed to a single layer. A clipping path will limit which areas of an image will show up and print in a page layout program (Figures 15.118 and 15.119). To create one, use the Pen or a shape tool to create a path, and then choose Window > Paths to open the Paths palette. Next, double-click the name of the path and assign it a name. Then choose Clipping Path from the side menu of the Paths palette (Figure 15.120). When prompted, be sure to enter a Flatness setting. When the image is printed, it will be converted into a polygon made out of straight lines of identical length. The Flatness setting will determine the length of those lines. Low settings produce short lines, which require ...