This tutorial will teach you how to create a photo collage by cutting an object from one image and placing it into another image.

Click here to open the source image

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You are now ready to begin working with the image.

1. Open the Mask Tools flyout and click the Magic Wand Mask tool.
2. Click the Additive Mask Mode button on the Property Bar.
3. Click the Normal Color Tolerance Mode button on the Property Bar.
4. Type 20 in the Color Similarity box.
5. Enable the Anti-aliasing button.

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You can now create a mask selection to define an area of the image for the photo collage.

1. Click the Magic Wand Mask tool on the sky behind the cactus.
2. Click other blue areas to add them to the first until the entire sky is selected.
3. Click Mask menu, Shape, Feather.
4. Enter 2 in the Width box in the Feather dialog box.
5. Click Outside in the Direction box.
6. Click OK.

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You will now invert the mask so that the cactus is selected rather than the sky.

Click Mask menu, Invert.

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Now create an object using the masked area.

1. Click Object menu, Create, Object: Copy Selection.
2. Click Edit menu, Copy.

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Click here to open the target image.

You will now place the object you created on the target image.

1. Click Edit menu, Paste, As New Object to copy the object from the Clipboard to the new image.
2. Drag the cactus to move it, or stretch and skew it using the transformation handles.

As long as the cactus remains an object, it floats above the image background and can be moved independently. You can also add other objects to your collage and place them as you wish.

When you are satisfied with your collage, click Object menu, Combine, Combine All Objects With Background. The object is now a part of the target image background, and can no longer be moved independently.

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