LXI26 is new from the ground up, and comes with some powerful new features. One of them is the new Fluid Mask module. Fluid Mask is a built-in image extraction tool that allows you to precisely select and remove background pixels from raster image files.
Converting .jpeg files and other solid-background images into garment transfers or contour-cut decals can be challenging. This is especially difficult when working with images with blurred or feathered transitions from foreground to background. Extracting foreground images precisely can pour buckets of sand into the machinery of your sign & graphics business. Fluid Mask simplifies this complex process and turns roadblocks into speed bumps. This tutorial offers a simple overview of the Fluid Mask module with step-by-step instructions for extracting simple and complex images.
Process and Limitations
The Fluid Mask module lives within LXI26’s extensive library of plug-ins. When a raster file is imported into the LXI26 workspace, the Fluid Mask module can be activated from the Plugins library. Fluid Mask only works with image files created in the RGB color space. So CMYK images will have to be converted to RGB. Once the image is selected and the Fluid Mask module activated, the background pixels can be selected and managed using a variety of tools and brushes. A running preview shows your work. Once you are satisfied with the preview, save and apply the changes. The newly extracted image is placed on your digital desktop ready to print. Let’s run through the process step by step with both simple and complex images.
Fluid Mask Process | High-contrast Images
- Import the RGB image.
- From the top navigation menu, click Image. From the drop-down menu, click Fluid Mask.
- The Fluid Mask module loads and presents a preview with the various discernable edges outlined in blue. Use the Edge Finding Slider in the window at the right to increase or decrease the sensitivity of this filter.
- The Tools menu on the left presents three brushes: Keep, Delete, and Blend. There is an Exact and a Local version of each brush. Use the Local version to select large areas. Use the exact brush to select smaller areas or fine details.
- To remove white background pixels on a .jpeg or flattened .tiff file, select the Delete Local brush. Click anywhere in the white background to select these pixels. The background turns red to preview what will be deleted.
- Inversely, to select pixels you want to keep, use the Keep Local brush. Click inside the area you want to keep. A selection of bright green previews the selected pixels. To automatically select everything inside the red background selection, click Image from the top navigation menu. From the drop-down menu, select Autofill with Keep. This should reduce your preview to two masked areas - a bright green selection previewing which pixels will be kept and printed, and a red background previewing which pixels will be deleted.
- Once you have filtered the pixels to your satisfaction, you can select the background color and create the cut-out. Toggle back and forth between the blue and alpha-channels in the Select Background Color tool to generate a preview with a solid blue background or a transparent ‘alpha channel’ pattern.
- Then click the Cut-out button at the bottom of the toolbox to preview the masked image. If everything looks good, click File from the top navigation bar and, from the drop-down menu, click Save and Apply. The Fluid Module closes and places the newly extracted image on your LXI workspace. If you have the grid activated, the transparent background is evident.
Fluid Mask Process | Images With Feathered Edges
- The process for extracting images with feathered edges is much the same as that above, with a few changes. Import the RGB image and open the Fluid Mask module.
- Before beginning, check the Blend box in the top navigation menu in the Protect Mask dialog box. This will instruct Fluid Mask to prioritize the blended areas.
Begin your selection by using the Blend - Local tool to select the areas with feathered edges. These will be highlighted in blue. - Then select the Delete Local tool to select the areas around the blended area that you wish to remove. This will be highlighted in red. You can ‘color’ into the blended area to make sure there are no gaps between the blend and background. Checking the Keep Blend box in the Protect Mask menu preserves the pre-selected area where the blend will be applied.
- Switch to the Keep brush. Click Image from the top navigation menu. From the drop-down menu, select Autofill with Keep. Click inside the area you want to keep. A selection of bright green previews the selected pixels. This automatically selects and preserves all the pixels inside the blended pixels selection.
- From here, the workflow is the same. Select the alpha channel for a transparent background, if preferred. Then use the Cut-out tool to show a preview of the newly transparent background around the feathered edges of your image.
- You can toggle back and forth between the Workspace and Cut-out windows to experiment with different applications of the brushes. You can also use the zoom tool to hone in on areas where the Exact brushes may be needed. And you can change the mask’s opacity to better see through to the original image to make adjustments.
- To experiment with different degrees of extraction, use the slider tool in the Edge Blending module on the right. Pushing the slider more toward Smart will produce a more finely-blended transition from solid to transparent.
- If everything looks good, click File, then click Save and Apply. The Fluid Module closes and places the newly extracted image on your LXI workspace.
Whether you’re extracting graphics with crisp edges for contour-cut stickers or designing high-impact graphics for DTF or DTG garment decoration, mastering the LXI26 Fluid Mask module offers a quick and powerful solution to one of the most common challenges in digital graphics. Extracting foreground images from background pixels quickly and precisely will help make your signs and graphics business more professional and productive.
