Undoubtedly, the process of masking hair in Photoshop ranks among the most challenging and time-consuming endeavors in the realm of image editing.

Over the years, countless image editors, including myself, have made every effort to steer clear of situations necessitating hair masking. Engaging in the meticulous task of manually tracing each individual wayward strand of hair on a model’s head inevitably halts productivity. Fortunately, advancements in technology, such as more powerful computers and enhanced tools, now enable us to automate a substantial portion of this process.

While it may require some time to become proficient with these automated selection tools, once you grasp their functioning, you will save a considerable amount of time compared to manual masking. Moreover, these automated tools extend beyond hair masking in Photoshop, proving invaluable for any intricate masking projects involving intricate details, whether it be chain-link fences, tree branches, or even dog fur.

The Quick Guide to Masking Hair In Photoshop

Well, I must admit, there’s no magical quick guide for this particular project!

Just kidding, I’m joking about that as well. However, I can provide you with a general process (although I must emphasize that it’s far from being quick):

Step 1: Utilize the Select Subject tool to establish a basic mask around your model.
Step 2: Access the Select and Mask workspace and employ the Refine Edge tool to fine-tune the mask.
Step 3: Employ manual masking tools to meticulously refine any additional intricate details.

Please note that this is merely a brief overview of the steps involved. If you’re eager to delve deeper into the project and acquire some helpful tips and tricks along the way, feel free to continue reading!

The Detailed Guide to Masking Hair In Photoshop

While it’s conceivable to write an extensive 20,000-word post on this subject, I’ll make an effort to keep things relatively concise in this detailed guide. Let’s get started!

Step 1: Subject Selection

Given that we’ll be relying on various automatic selection tools in this tutorial, let’s commence by employing one of Photoshop’s lesser-known shortcuts: the Remove Background button.

Typically, I wouldn’t recommend using this feature unless you’re dealing with uncomplicated images that exhibit a distinct contrast between the subject and the background. However, since our objective is to create a general mask, this tool will suffice.

Upon initially opening your image in Photoshop, it is likely to appear as a single locked layer, conveniently labeled as “Background” in the Layers panel. To prepare it for editing, simply click on the small lock icon (shown above) to unlock the layer.

The layer will undergo a name change to “Layer 0,” and you’ll notice an update in the Properties panel, offering a few Quick Actions, including the option to Remove Background.

By simply clicking once, Photoshop will execute the Select Subject command, instantly generating a layer mask that conceals the background of your image automatically.

Step 2: Refining Your Mask

As you may notice right away, Photoshop doesn’t always do a perfect job at this task – but that’s not a problem since we only need a place to start from.

Click on the newly-created layer mask in the Layers panel to make sure it’s selected, and then open the Select menu and click Select and Mask. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Command + Option + R (use Ctrl + Alt + R if you’re using Photoshop on a PC).

Upon initiating the process, Photoshop will unveil the Select and Mask workspace, a specialized environment designed for meticulous selection and mask refinement, offering a variety of distinctive features.

The arrangement of this workspace bears a resemblance to the familiar Photoshop interface: your image occupies the main document window, encircled by tools on the left, tool options positioned along the top, and parameters and output settings situated on the right.

One of the key configurations to consider is selecting the View Mode that best showcases the clarity of your subject’s hair.

For instance, in this particular case, opting for the View option labeled “On Black” with the Opacity set at 100% enables a thorough examination of areas where the initial masking process may have overlooked certain strands, necessitating additional refinement. Furthermore, it allows the identification of larger background regions that were mistakenly included in the mask.

The efficacy of different View Modes may vary depending on the hair color of your subject and the background being removed. It may require some experimentation to determine the most effective option for highlighting the hair strands accurately.

Once you have a clear view of your work, transition to the Refine Edge Brush Tool. You have the option to adjust the brush size using the tool options panel located at the top of the document window, or you can utilize the [ and ] keys to increase or decrease the brush size.

Thoroughly examine your image and utilize the Refine Edge Brush to paint areas that you want Photoshop to identify as edges. This process effectively instructs Photoshop on where to concentrate its automatic detection efforts, resulting in significantly improved automatic masking outcomes, all without requiring a substantial time investment.

For example, note the white patch of leftover background just behind the model’s head in the center of the hair, shown below.

This would take forever to mask manually, but a few brush strokes with the Refine Edge tool and it’s suddenly a proper mask.

By default, the Refine Edge brush augments your existing selection. However, you can also hold down the Option key (Alt key on a PC) to subtract from the current edge selection.

Keep painting with the Refine Edge brush until you are content that no strand of your model’s hair has been overlooked. If necessary, switch to the basic Brush tool to address any noticeable imperfections.

It’s essential to bear in mind that capturing every single stray hair on your model is nearly impossible, and it’s not always necessary to mask each one. Spending hours on this task alone may not be the most efficient use of your time.

Once you’re mostly satisfied with the mask results, it’s time to consider applying any desired global settings.

Typically, when masking hair, the Smoothing, Feather, and Contrast options prove less beneficial. However, the Shift Edge tool can come in handy if you find that Photoshop tends to be overly generous in its selections.

Adjusting the Shift Edge slider to a negative value effectively reduces the extent of the edge selections, aiding in the automatic elimination of halos surrounding your hair strands.

In the event that the Shift Edge slider fails to produce the desired outcome, an alternative worth exploring is the utilization of the Decontaminate Colors option, located within the Output Settings section. This option possesses a similar capability to eliminate color halos that may appear around your hair strands.

Step 3: Manual Refinement (Optional)

Finally, it is worth considering implementing some additional manual refinements to enhance your masked hair. As you may have observed, while these automatic techniques are beneficial, they are not flawless.

Numerous image editors rely on custom brushes to paint in supplementary hair effects, effectively concealing any imperfections resulting from the masking process. However, delving into the intricacies of creating brushes exceeds the scope of this tutorial. To explore this topic further and gain comprehensive insights, I recommend referring to our brushes tutorial for detailed information.

A Final Word

I’ve expressed this sentiment previously, and I’ll reiterate it once more: hair masking in Photoshop poses as one of the most demanding endeavors for an image editor. Enhancing your skills requires dedicated practice, so ensure that you engage in ample repetition and practice (followed by even more practice) until these tools become ingrained in your workflow. Alternatively, you can adopt my approach and focus on landscape and wildlife photography, avoiding the intricacies of hair masking altogether. ????