Image Effect for Print Ads or Flyers

Here is a simple yet effective image effect that is often used in print ads. An image's main object extends out into the white area so it appears as if it is popping out of the picture and the ad text is placed in the white section. Obviously this effect can be used with almost any object in a picture but seems to work best on less "busy" images with one or two objects that really stand out. I'm going to use a hot air balloon for this tutorial. If you want to follow along with me, you can download the image I'm using here: Hot air balloon.

Step 1:

Open the image in Photoshop and double click on the background layer in the layer palette to turn the background into a layer. Name it Balloon. Make sure your zoomed out enough to see around the edges of the image. Click on the pen-tool in the tool palette and select Path in the upper tool bar.

Starting at the bottom, just beyond the bottom edge of the picture, use the pen-tool to trace around the left edge of the balloon and to the left of the basket, clicking often to get a close trace. Continue to the top and go just beyond the top edge.

Continue using the pen-tool to click around the outside edge of the picture until you connect back to the original starting point.

Once you connect back to the original starting point, hit ctrl + enter on the keyboard to create a selection.

now hit ctrl + X to cut out the selection.

Step Two:

Open a new document with a white background and a size of 1024x768 (if your using the balloon image) and drag the balloon layer into the new document and line it up along the right side.

To add a drop shadow to the protruding part of the balloon, right click on the balloon layer in the layers palette and select duplicate layer. Drag the duplicate layer below the balloon layer. Add a drop shadow to the duplicate layer and make the angle about -4, distance 7 and size 8 in the drop shadow settings box. Now, making sure the duplicate layer is still active, select the eraser tool and erase the excess drop shadow on the edges keeping only the shadow that goes around the balloon.

And finally, just add and style your text. That completes this tutorial.