How much does professional image masking service cost?

Image masking starts at €0.75 per image for subjects with standard hair or fur, and goes up to €1.20 per image for complex dense fur, glass, smoke, or multiple subjects requiring advanced channel or alpha masking.

What is image masking and when is it better than a clipping path?

Image masking uses alpha channels or colour channels to isolate subjects with fine, semi-transparent, or complex edges — such as hair, fur, feathers, smoke and glass — where a hard-edged clipping path would destroy detail. It preserves every strand and wisp for a natural, seamless cut-out.

How fast is turnaround for image masking orders?

Standard masking orders of up to 500 images are delivered within 24 hours. Complex high-detail subjects are typically completed within 48 hours, with rush delivery available on request.

//Image Masking

Service 04

Image Masking

Image masking is the technique used when a clipping path isn't sufficient — for subjects with hair, fur, fine feathers, smoke, glass, or translucent fabrics. We use alpha channel extraction and layer masking to separate the subject from its background while keeping strand-level detail intact. No artificial edge, no halo, no lost texture. Whether you're isolating a model's curly hair for a white background, extracting a glass vase for a lifestyle composite, or separating sheer lingerie, we apply the right masking technique for each specific subject. Starting from €0.75 per image with 24-hour delivery.

RawEdited

What is image masking?

Image masking is the technique used to isolate subjects with fine, complex edges — hair, fur, feathers, smoke, glass, or translucent fabrics — where a hard clipping path would clip away detail. Alpha channel masking and layer masking preserve strand-level and edge detail at the pixel level.

Why does it matter for e-commerce?

Automated masking tools produce visible fringing and lost detail on hair and fur. Manual alpha channel extraction retains individual strands and realistic edge transparency, which is critical for beauty, fashion, and pet product photography.

Included

What does image masking include?

Hair & fur

Strand-level detail retained — no halo, no artificial edges.

Alpha channel

Correct technique selected per subject: alpha, channel, or layer mask.

Glass & translucency

Smoke, glass and sheer fabric extracted with natural transparency.

Who this is for

Fashion and beauty photographers, composite artists, and brands that shoot subjects with hair, fur, translucent fabric, glass, or smoke — anything where a hard clipping path would destroy fine edge detail.

Pricing

How much does image masking cost?

Tier	What's included	Price
Standard	Hair, simple fur, semi-transparent fabric	from €0.75
Complex	Dense fur, glass, smoke, multiple subjects	from €1.20
Bulk	500+ images/month — volume rate	Contact us

All prices per image. No setup fee. No minimum order.

The workflow

How does an order work?

Secure Upload

Send files via FTP, Dropbox, WeTransfer or Google Drive. We confirm receipt and start within 2 hours.

Specialist Edit

A dedicated team edits your images — not generalists. Your brief and brand guidelines drive every decision.

QC Review

A senior editor reviews every file independently before delivery. We fix issues before you see them.

Encrypted Delivery

Approved files are pushed to your secure transfer of choice — FTP, Dropbox, or Google Drive.

Ready to Publish

You receive an instant notification. Files are in your required format, named and organized.

Common questions

Common questions about image masking

When should I use masking instead of a clipping path?

Use masking when the subject has hair, fur, fine feathers, smoke, glass, or translucent fabric — anything where a hard vector path would cut off fine detail. We assess each image and apply the correct technique automatically.

Can you mask subjects on complex or busy backgrounds?

Yes, though detailed backgrounds (outdoor scenes, textured walls) take longer to mask cleanly. Send a sample image and we'll assess it and quote accurately before you commit.

Do you retain fine hair strands at full print resolution?

Yes. We use alpha channel extraction at native resolution. No strand-level detail is lost and there is no halo or fringing on the output — at any print size.

What's the difference between alpha masking and layer masking?

Alpha masking extracts fine edge detail (hair, fur) using the channel data already in the image. Layer masking is a Photoshop technique used for broader subject separation. We choose the right approach for each specific image — you don't need to specify which.

See it on your
own images.

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