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                <h1>
                    Create transparency using image clipping paths
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                <div><div class="section"><p>You
can use image clipping paths to define transparent areas in images
you place in page-layout applications. In&#160;addition, Mac&#160;OS
users can&#160;embed Photoshop images in many word-processor
files.</p>
<p>You
may want to use only part of a Photoshop image when printing it
or placing it in another application. For example, you may want
to use a foreground object and exclude the background. An<dfn class="term"> image
clipping path</dfn> lets you isolate the foreground object and
make everything else transparent when the image is printed or placed
in&#160;another application.</p>
<div class="para"><div class="note"><span class="notetitle">Note:  </span>Paths are vector-based;
therefore, they have hard edges. You cannot preserve the softness
of a feathered edge, such as in a shadow, when creating an image clipping
path.</div>
</div>
<div class="fignone"><img alt="" id="sa_08" src="images/sa_08.png" /><div class="figdesc">Image imported into Illustrator or InDesign without image
clipping path (left), and with image clipping path (right)</div><br /></div></div>
<ol><li class="stepexpand"><span>Draw a work path that defines the area of the
image you want to show.</span> <div class="tip"><img src="images/tip_help.png" />If you’ve already selected the area of
the image you want to show, you can convert the selection to a work
path. See <a href="WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-7378a.html">Convert a selection to a path</a> for instructions.</div></li>
<li class="stepexpand"><span>In the Paths panel, save the work path as a&#160;path.</span></li>
<li class="stepexpand"><span>Choose Clipping Path from the Paths panel&#160;menu,
set the following options, and click&#160;OK:</span><ul><li><p>For Path, choose the path you want to save.</p>
</li>
<li><p>For Flatness, leave the flatness value blank to
print the image using the printer’s default value. If you experience
printing errors, enter a flatness value to determine how the PostScript
interpreter approximates the curve. The lower the flatness value,
the greater the number of straight lines used to draw the curve
and the more accurate the&#160;curve. Values can range from
0.2 to 100. In general, a flatness setting from 8 to 10 is recommended
for high-resolution printing (1200 dpi to 2400 dpi), and a setting
from 1 to 3 for low-resolution printing (300 dpi to 600 dpi).</p>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="stepexpand"><span>If you plan to print the file using process colors, convert
the file to CMYK mode.</span></li>
<li class="stepexpand"><span>Save the file by doing one of the following:</span><ul><li><p>To print the file using a PostScript printer,
save in Photoshop EPS, DCS, or PDF format. </p>
</li>
<li><p>To print the file using a non-PostScript printer,
save in TIFF format and export to Adobe InDesign, or to Adobe PageMaker® 5.0 or later. </p>
</li>
</ul>
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                    <div class="separator">&#160;</div>
                    <div><p><a href="WS08719555-224E-48db-AC64-FC21F4B87689a.html">Prepare images for page-layout programs</a></p><p><a href="WSFC1ADF5B-7FC2-472c-A823-8696008CECA8a.html">Drawing shapes and paths</a></p><p><a href="WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-7378a.html">Convert a selection to a path</a></p>
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                    <p><a href="http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Photoshop/11.0/WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-73d4a.html" title="http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Photoshop/11.0/WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-73d4a.html">Convert an image to another color mode (adobe.com)</a></p>
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