How to Use Preview Like a Pro in Mac OS X 10.6

If you are thinking of buying Photoshop or another expensive photo editing program, first consider a program built right in to your Mac. If you are buying Photoshop so you can take the background out of a photo, highlight a certain part of...

Method 1 of 3:

Taking the background out of images

  1. images 1 of How to Use Preview Like a Pro in Mac OS X 10.6
    Images 1 of How to Use Preview Like a Pro in Mac OS X 10.6
    Open Preview.
  2. images 2 of How to Use Preview Like a Pro in Mac OS X 10.6
    Images 2 of How to Use Preview Like a Pro in Mac OS X 10.6
    Use Preview to open your image. Go to File>Open and choose the image you wish to open.
  3. images 3 of How to Use Preview Like a Pro in Mac OS X 10.6
    Images 3 of How to Use Preview Like a Pro in Mac OS X 10.6
    Click the "Select" drop-down menu.
  4. images 4 of How to Use Preview Like a Pro in Mac OS X 10.6
    Images 4 of How to Use Preview Like a Pro in Mac OS X 10.6
    Choose the "Instant Alpha" button.
  5. images 5 of How to Use Preview Like a Pro in Mac OS X 10.6
    Images 5 of How to Use Preview Like a Pro in Mac OS X 10.6
    Click wherever you want to erase the background.
  6. images 6 of How to Use Preview Like a Pro in Mac OS X 10.6
    Images 6 of How to Use Preview Like a Pro in Mac OS X 10.6
    You will notice that part of your picture turns red.
  7. images 7 of How to Use Preview Like a Pro in Mac OS X 10.6
    Images 7 of How to Use Preview Like a Pro in Mac OS X 10.6
    Drag until most of your background is red.
  8. images 8 of How to Use Preview Like a Pro in Mac OS X 10.6
    Images 8 of How to Use Preview Like a Pro in Mac OS X 10.6
    When you have most of the background selected, hit the "Delete" key.
  9. images 9 of How to Use Preview Like a Pro in Mac OS X 10.6
    Images 9 of How to Use Preview Like a Pro in Mac OS X 10.6
    This won't erase all of the images background, but it should get most of it.
  10. images 10 of How to Use Preview Like a Pro in Mac OS X 10.6
    Images 10 of How to Use Preview Like a Pro in Mac OS X 10.6
    Now it comes down to personal preference on which tool to use to clean up the rest of the background.
Method 2 of 3:

Isolating a part of a picture

  1. images 11 of How to Use Preview Like a Pro in Mac OS X 10.6
    Images 11 of How to Use Preview Like a Pro in Mac OS X 10.6
    Drag a rectangle (or circle if that's what you want) around the area you want to keep.
  2. images 12 of How to Use Preview Like a Pro in Mac OS X 10.6
    Images 12 of How to Use Preview Like a Pro in Mac OS X 10.6
    Hit the "Invert Selection" button under the "Edit" menu.
  3. images 13 of How to Use Preview Like a Pro in Mac OS X 10.6
    Images 13 of How to Use Preview Like a Pro in Mac OS X 10.6
    Hit "Delete"
Method 3 of 3:

Annotating on a Picture/PDF

  1. images 14 of How to Use Preview Like a Pro in Mac OS X 10.6
    Images 14 of How to Use Preview Like a Pro in Mac OS X 10.6
    Open your picture.
  2. images 15 of How to Use Preview Like a Pro in Mac OS X 10.6
    Images 15 of How to Use Preview Like a Pro in Mac OS X 10.6
    Hit the "Annotate" button
  3. images 16 of How to Use Preview Like a Pro in Mac OS X 10.6
    Images 16 of How to Use Preview Like a Pro in Mac OS X 10.6
    Make your selections!
4 | 1 Vote
« PREV : How to Upgrade to...
How to Use Spaces on... : NEXT »