Pixel Stretched Photoshop Tutorial

Create this contemporary effect to simplify any background.

Step 1

Open a picture into Photoshop. To open a picture, just go to File> Open, browse for the image, and then click OK. You should now have the photo loaded into Photoshop.

Step 2

To begin, duplicate the layer by pressing Ctrl+J or going to the Layer> Duplicate Layer menu. This will create a new layer called "Layer 1" as the top layer.

Step 3

With the top layer selected, we'll use the Extract filter to separate the subject from the background. To use the Extract tool, go to Filter> Extract. To use this tool, simply paint a green outline around the subject. Turn on "Smart Highlighting" on the left for enhanced precision. However, when you have "Smart Highlighting" enabled, make sure you paint at a speed that your computer can keep up with. If you go too fast, the smart highlighting feature won't have enough time to catch up and the end results will be less precise. Once you have the green outline created, use the paint bucket tool on the left of the extract tool window and fill inside the green outline. You should now have an image like the one below. Click OK when done and you should now have a layer with the subject separated from the background.

Step 4

Now we'll create another duplicate of the Background layer for the pixel stretch effect. Select the Background layer and then press Ctrl+J or go to Layer> Duplicate Layer. You should now have a layer called Background copy as the middle layer.