Clipping path or clipping image is a closed vector path which is also known as photo cut-out or deep etching. This process is used to cut out a 2D image in image editing software such as Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator.

After the cutouts in photoshop are applied anything that is inside the path will be included, and everything outside the path will be omitted from the image. Applying a clipping path results in either a hard or soft edge, depending on the capabilities of the image editor.

Let’s say, a photograph with a gray background needs to be used on the front page of a designer catalog. Now the demand is the removal of its exact image background because the catalog has a different color, which is, for example, green with some other design.

Photoshop clipping path requires to create a path around the image to do so and later change it into a clipping path. Now the image background will disappear when using software like Illustrator, InDesign, and many more.