For removing unwanted backgrounds, Mask Pro 4.1 is the Photoshop plugin recommended by Advanced Photoshop magazine. Mask Pro 4.1 allows you to cut out a subject from the background by assigning keep and drop colors and simply painting away the background. Mask Pro 4.1 makes it easy to create masks, selections and clipping paths on difficult subjects like hair, glass and fog all in real-time.

Watch an overview of Mask Pro 4

Running time: 7:32

If you are new to masking and the subject is a little daunting, fear not. Mask Pro 4.1 includes several built-in tutorials that allow you to quickly learn how to mask even the most complex image.

• Remove unwanted backgrounds with easy, intuitive techniques.
• Maintain transparency in hard to mask objects like hair, smoke & glass.
• Includes 12 tools to mask everything from large backgrounds to the finest details in hard to mask areas.
• Works with 8-bit and 16-bit images in Photoshop CS2, CS3 and CS4.

Why Upgrade?

See the Top Reasons to Upgrade to Plug-In Suite 5.

See a larger view. In this example, the results of Genuine Fractals 6 are compared to the results from Photoshop's Bicubic Smoother.

Complete Collection of Masking Tools

When masking an image, you may need more than one tool to get the job done. That's why Mask Pro 4.1 provides a complete collection of tools that help you take on the toughest masking project. Included are tools such as the Magic Brush which will remove colors while maintaining transparency as well as touch up tools like the Chisel which will help you get the edges of your image perfect without any edge halos at all.

See how Mask Pro fixes edge halos.

Masking without Edge Halos

If you have ever spent time creating masks or cutting a subject out of a background you know that the background color is picked up in the edge of the foreground subject as a reflection or halo. This halo effect will prevent your subject from blending with a new background in a realistic looking way. With Mask Pro 4.1's color decontamination technology and touch up tools, halos are a thing of the past.

See the interface for Mask Pro 4.

No More Guessing with Real-Time Masking Previews

The problem with other Photoshop plug-in masking tools is that many operate in the "click and pray" mode. You draw a couple of lines or paint the edge of your subject and then click apply and pray that it works right. If things don't work out the way you expected there is not much you can do other than start over again.

It's different with Mask Pro 4.1 as you can see the results in real-time as you work. You can see your image on a new solid color background, a checkerboard or even against the underlying layer in Photoshop to visualize your final composite as you mask.

Masking Hair and Transparent Objects

Masking images that contain hair can be tricky and often frustrating. It is difficult to use a tool that relies on edge detection to mask something like hair or other thin or transparent subjects.

As a plug-in for Photoshop, Mask Pro 4.1 works differently by using color instead of edges. This allows it to easily create a mask that preserves the details you want and even removes unwanted ambient color contamination caused by reflections and transparency. Mask Pro 4.1 actually paints away the colors that you do not want in your image, leaving a natural transition between the subject and background.