A cutout is something separated from its surroundings, but the term means different things in different contexts. In photo editing, it usually means isolating a subject from its background. On an iPhone, it can refer to Apple’s built-in subject-isolation feature. In art, it can mean shapes cut from painted paper; in Revit, a cutouts map controls transparency in a material. These are related ideas, not interchangeable workflows.
What is a cutout in photo editing?
A photo cutout is an image subject isolated from its background. The result can be placed over a different background or used on its own. In Photoshop, Adobe describes selecting the subject and applying a layer mask. A mask hides parts of the image without permanently deleting the original content, so you can revise the selection later.
Choose a selection approach for the edges
Simple shapes may need only a quick selection. Complex outlines often require more controlled selection and refinement. Hair, jewellery, and intricate clothing are especially challenging because their edges contain fine detail. Adobe’s guide explains the process and edge-refinement considerations: How to cut out an image in Photoshop.
The amount of manual refinement depends on the subject and its edges; the available guidance does not establish a performance ranking between editing products.
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How do you make a cutout on an iPhone?
Apple documents a built-in way to isolate a subject: touch and hold the subject in Photos or a supported app, then copy or share it. The support page lists availability on iPhone XS, iPhone XR, and later with iOS 16 or later. The page is for Ireland, and interface behavior or availability may vary by software version, so check Apple’s current support information for your device and region: Create and share photo cutouts on your iPhone.
What are Matisse’s paper cut-outs?
Henri Matisse’s cut-outs were compositions made by cutting shapes from paper painted with gouache. Studio assistants painted the sheets; Matisse used scissors to cut shapes and arrange them. Small pieces could be arranged on a board with pins, while assistants arranged larger works on studio walls under his direction. The works were later mounted permanently.
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MoMA notes that Matisse first used cut paper for practical purposes, including design work and making large compositions easier to revise, before considering a cut-out an autonomous work of art in 1946. He described the approach as “cutting directly into color” and “drawing with scissors”; MoMA connects it to his longer effort to unite color and line. Read the museum’s account in Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What does “cutouts map” mean in Revit?
In Autodesk Revit, a cutouts map is an image map used to make parts of a material partially transparent. Autodesk’s Revit LT help explains that transparent areas become fully transparent, allowing a material to take on a particular shape or pattern. This is a rendering setting—not a paper-cutting method or a photo-background removal workflow. See Autodesk’s Cutouts Map documentation.
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