Image Editing & Graphic Design
Clipping Path
A vector path drawn around the subject with the pen tool, so the edge stays sharp at any size and the file stays re-editable. Priced by how many curves the subject actually has.
- Price
- From $0.39 per image
- Turnaround
- 6–24 hours
- You get back
-
- Path saved in the layered file
- Transparent PNG
- White-background JPEG
- Free trial
- 2 images, edited to your brief, no card, no commitment.
The specifics
- Starts at
- From $0.39 per image
- Typical turnaround
- 6–24 hours
- What you get back
- Path saved in the layered file; Transparent PNG; White-background JPEG
Part of Background Remove. How the work runs and what it costs across the family are set out in the image editing & graphic design guide.
What Clipping Path covers
10 services under this heading. Each is priced for the work it actually involves rather than averaged into one rate.
Basic Clipping Path
Pen-tool paths around objects with only a few straight edges and gentle curves, such as a phone case or a folded shirt.
Priced per project
Simple Clipping Path
Paths for objects with a few curves and one or two openings, such as mugs with handles or a basic pair of sunglasses.
Priced per project
Compound Clipping Path
Several paths combined within one image to separate multiple parts, such as a product and its accessories, so each can b...
Priced per project
Complex Clipping Path
Paths around objects with many curves, holes and fine edges, such as bicycles, chairs with slats or intricate packaging.
Priced per project
Super Complex Clipping Path
Paths for the hardest subjects, such as bike chains, lace, trees and wire structures, with hundreds of anchor points and...
Priced per project
Multiple Clipping Path
Separate paths for different parts of one product, so colors, parts or finishes can be changed individually without re-c...
Priced per project
E-commerce & Products
Clipping paths drawn for product catalogs, following each product's real edges so it can be placed on white or any other...
7 services
Portraits & People
Hard-edged paths for people shots where hair is tied back or clothing edges are crisp, for catalogs and directories.
3 services
Real Estate
Paths around building outlines and rooflines, used to replace skies or isolate a property for marketing materials.
Priced per project
Stock Photos
Clean, accurate paths added to stock images so buyers can drop the subject straight into their own designs.
Priced per project
Before and after
Drag the handle. Every pair is our own work.
Trainer on a cluttered studio floor
Hand-drawn path, transparent background, natural shadow retained
Illustration, not a client job
Clipping Path Footwear 6 hours
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a clipping path and masking?
Masking works on pixels and handles soft or semi-transparent edges: hair, fur, fabric, smoke, glass. If your subject has any of those, masking is the right service and a path will disappoint you.
What do basic, complex and super-complex mean?
Basic is a simple closed shape like a phone or a book. Complex has many curves or internal holes — a bicycle, a chair with slats. Super-complex is something like jewelry with chain links or a garment with lacing. We grade your images and tell you the mix before quoting.
Will the path be saved in the file?
We also supply flattened outputs — transparent PNG and white-background JPEG — so the files are usable immediately.
Rates for this work are on the Image Editing & Graphic Design page.
How we approach this work
Articles from the journal, written by the people who do this work. More on this subject →
A Practical Guide to Clipping Paths and Cut-Outs
Learn when to use a clipping path or a mask, how to place paths and finish edges without halos, and how to keep cut-outs consistent across a full catalog.
Image Editing & RetouchingColor Management, Done Properly
Learn how profiles, working spaces, display calibration and soft-proofing keep color consistent from the editor to the browser to the printed page.
Image Editing & RetouchingNon-Destructive Editing, Done Properly
A phase-by-phase playbook for non-destructive editing: layered masters, adjustment layers, masks and smart objects that turn client revisions into quick fixes.
Clipping Path vs the alternatives
Side-by-side on price, turnaround and what you actually get back. Written for the decision rather than for us.
Background Change vs Clipping Path
Which you need, what each costs, and when a project wants both — background change compared with clipping path.
Background Transparent vs Clipping Path
Which you need, what each costs, and when a project wants both — background transparent compared with clipping path.
Background White vs Clipping Path
Which you need, what each costs, and when a project wants both — background white compared with clipping path.
Basic Subject vs Clipping Path
Which you need, what each costs, and when a project wants both — basic subject compared with clipping path.
Clipping Path vs Complex Subject
Which you need, what each costs, and when a project wants both — clipping path compared with complex subject.
Clipping Path vs Compound Subject
Which you need, what each costs, and when a project wants both — clipping path compared with compound subject.
Clipping Path vs Ecommerce & Products
Which you need, what each costs, and when a project wants both — clipping path compared with ecommerce & products.
Clipping Path vs Ghost Mannequin Effect
Which you need, what each costs, and when a project wants both — clipping path compared with ghost mannequin effect.
Often combined with Clipping Path
The work that usually sits either side of this one. One team handles all of it, under one brief.
Image Delivery & Asset Management
Organizing, storing and delivering images after a shoot, so the right files reach the right places and can be found year...
Priced per project
Studio Setup & Lighting Design
Lighting and studio setups designed for your products, documented so the same look can be recreated at every future shoo...
Priced per project
Logo Design
Designing a logo and the full set of versions it needs, from the primary mark to icons, favicons and single-color varian...
Priced per project
Brand Strategy
Deciding who the brand is for, what makes it different and how it should sound, before any design work starts.
Priced per project
Automation & Flow Design
Automated email sequences triggered by what customers do, such as signing up, browsing or buying, so the right message a...
Priced per project
3D Modeling
Clean topology, correct scale, ready for what happens next.
From $49.00 per model
Related services
Try it free: 2 images, edited to your brief.
No card and no commitment. If the standard is not what you need, you have lost nothing.