Feathering

[Mitchell]

When performing different curves adjustment on different objects in the same picture, I understand that feathering is a useful option. Wendell suggested it in one of more C&C posts.

I have CS2 and when I 'feather', I am never sure exactly what I am doing. Therefore a few questions:

1. What exactly is feathering doing?
2. When you feather a selection, do you feather the pixels on the inside edge of your selection, or the outside edge of your selection?

Thanks in advance.

[owen]

1.When you feather a selection you are 'blurring' the edge of your selection, and you can vary that amount. To give you an example, get a photo, make a rough round selection of something in the image, change to the brush tool and just start painting. You'll find that there is a really hard edge where you made the selection. Now apply a feather to the selection, say 50-100 pixels for the sake of this example. Now do the same, make a selection and brush it. You'll find it blends in much more gently.

2. I believe it feathers inside your selection, but you can always inverse yuor selection if you want it to feather 'outside' where you've marked out.

Hope this helps mate.
Owen.

[wendellt]

1. feathering softens the selection

in pixel terms lets say a feathered edge consists of 1 pixel all around an image
now since a pixel is a square it is un even so you will get a jagged feathered edge

now what feathering does depending on what value you place
is soften the effect from the outlined marque, like a feather of 3 pixels will
soften the effect of the edge from a range of 3 pixels away from the marque, this effect is gradual so in effect you get a soft edge

so the effect on the first row of picels is lie 100% think in terms of opacity
then the 2nd now is like 60%
then the 3rd 30%
then nothing

2. feather from the inside but this is a case by case scenario sometimes feathing from the outside edge is warranted

for your purposes to fix that bird feather from the insideby 2 pixels