How to Create a Stunning 3D Pop-Out Effect in Photoshop

It’s fun to imagine what else you could do with your old digital photos. Creating a 3D pop-out effect in Adobe Photoshop is a great way to get people to notice your efforts on social media posts or as a creative photography project.

Minimum requirements

The pop-out effect is a creative technique in which parts of an image appear to jump out of their boundaries, creating a dynamic 3D effect.

You will need the following resources to complete this tutorial:

• Adobe Photoshop (any recent version)
• Have basic knowledge of Photoshop interface
• At least two high resolution photos

Here's what the finished project will look like:

Note : This article uses the latest version of Adobe Photoshop, but you can try this on older versions as well. The basic principles of selecting a subject in an image remain the same; only the selection options have expanded in scope. Finally, as with all image editing in Photoshop, there are multiple ways to create this effect.

Step 1: Set up your project

Finding the right images is half the battle. Here are some tips for choosing the perfect images for your project.

1. Avoid blurry or pixelated images, as high resolution photos with sharp edges will give the best results.
2. Choose an image where the subject is easily separated from the background. For example, a prominent subject with a plain background makes it easier to select and mask.
3. Action shots or dynamic poses are ideal because they create a sense of movement.
4. Choose an image where part of the subject can “break the frame” and naturally expand. For example, an outstretched hand or a full-body portrait of you stepping out of the frame.
5. Use images with lots of negative space. You have enough room to expand the frame without cropping out unnecessary details.

Tip : Browse simple photos when you start your first project. Search many stock photo sites for photos with simple backgrounds to find copyright-free images.

Step 2: Prepare the background image

The background image or part of the background image is the frame for the highlight image. Working on a duplicate layer of the background will preserve the original image for non-destructive editing. In the following steps, creating a new layer by duplicating the original layer will isolate the pixels and set the scene for the pop-out effect.

1. Unlock the background layer.
2. Rename this layer and duplicate it ( Ctrl + J ) to keep the original.
3. Select the area where you want to place the second image.
4. Right click on the selected area and click Layer via Copy .

Tip : Photoshop provides several methods for making selections. In the screenshot above, I used the Rectangular Marquee to select a blank white area in the image frame.

You can create a solid color adjustment layer instead of a new layer via duplicate. The pop-out effect can be more prominent on a consistent color background. Also, if you need to change the background color later, you can do so without affecting the rest of the composition.

Step 3: Arrange photos to create pop-out effect

The pop-out effect works best when part of the object is inside the frame and part is outside.

1. Drag the second selected image to create a pop-out effect on the main document.
2. Press Ctrl + T to select and scale the image.
3. Scale the image so that a significant portion of the image falls outside the selected frame in the background layer.
4. Temporarily reduce the layer's opacity to make adjusting the layer's position easier.
5. Slide the opacity down to 100% once the image is in place.

Proper scaling and positioning is important to create a realistic pop-out effect. Again, over-scaling the top image can throw off the balance between the frame and the pop-out portion of the image.

Note : In the latest versions of Photoshop, the Transform tool scales layers proportionally by default. In previous versions, you had to hold down the Shift key to maintain the aspect ratio when using the Transform tool.

Step 4: Create Clipping Mask

You want to blend your pop-out image seamlessly instead of just stacking layers on top of the frame. A Clipping Mask confines your subject to the shape of the layer below (in this case, the “frame” we created from Layer via Copy). This step is important because it creates a perfect edge for the pop-out effect without affecting the background.

To do this, right-click on the photo and select Create Clipping Mask .

Step 5: Select the object to apply the pop-out effect to

To enhance the 3D illusion effect, you need to isolate the part of the image where the pop-out effect will be applied.

1. Duplicate the image layer by pressing Ctrl + J (Windows) or Cmd + J (Mac).
2. With the duplicated layer selected, go to Select > Subject .
3. Use other selection tools to add to or subtract from the selection.

This step creates a separate layer for the part of the image that will "pop", allowing you to manipulate it independently.

Tip : For more complex, softer selections like hair, use the Select and Mask option from the Photoshop menu (introduced in Photoshop CC 2018) to create smoother edges.

Step 6: Create a striking pop-out effect

Tie things together by showing only the parts of the image that create a striking effect.

1. Add a layer mask to the duplicated layer.
2. Select the Brush tool and make sure the foreground color is set to black.
3. Carefully paint over the parts of the image you want to hide, revealing the layer underneath.

Layer masks allow you to control exactly which parts of the image get the pop-out effect applied, creating the illusion of depth.

Step 6: Finishing the effect

From here, you can add subtle effects to the highlighted subject. For example, select the layer with the pop-out subject and add a drop shadow: Layer > Layer Style > Drop Shadow .

Shadows add depth to the effect. Color Balance or Hue/Saturation adjustments can also help blend the colors between the subject and background.

Flatten the image or save it as a PSD for future editing. Finally, export the final result as a PNG or JPEG and share it. Continue experimenting with different base images for the frame and the image you want to apply the pop-out effect to.