How to Create the Out of Bounds Effect in Photoshop (3D Pop-Out Photo Effect)

Jesús RamirezJesús RamirezPhotoshop Effects
ByJesús Ramirez

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The out of bounds effect in Photoshop makes an object or a person look like it is popping out of a photo frame.

It is also called the 3D pop-out photo effect. Despite the name, it uses no 3D tools. The 3D describes the look, not the 3D workspace.

In this tutorial, a snowboarder leaps out of a photo frame while snow piles up on the table under it. You will build the effect with a vector shape, a clipping mask, two layer masks and a couple of shadows.

It is a great first composite for a beginner. Every step uses a core Photoshop tool you will reach for again and again.

The video was recorded in Photoshop 2015, and every tool it uses still works the same way in the current version. A few buttons have new names since then, and the steps point those out.

Finished out of bounds effect in Photoshop with a snowboarder leaping out of a photo frame

Key Takeaways

  • A vector shape drawn with the Pen Tool beats a pixel selection for the frame opening. It keeps the file small and stays editable.
  • The subject needs two copies of the same layer: one clipped to the frame shape, and one masked so it pops out over the frame.
  • Link the two copies with the chain icon in the Layers panel so they move and scale as one.
  • The Screen blend mode drops the black background out of a snow element with no masking at all.
  • A shadow should follow the light in the scene. Here the light comes from the right, so the shadows fall to the left.
  • Shadows look more natural in a dark color sampled from the scene than in pure black.

Table of contents

What You Will Learn

  • How to trace a photo frame with the Pen Tool in Shape mode
  • How to clip a photo to a shape with a clipping mask
  • How to mask a subject with the Quick Selection Tool and refine the edge
  • How to build a layer mask from a channel with Apply Image and Levels
  • How to blend snow elements into a composite with the Screen blend mode
  • How to add a drop shadow and a painted shadow that match the light

Requirements

Before you start

Keyboard Shortcuts for the Pop-Out Effect

ActionWindowsmacOS
Temporary Zoom Tool (release to return to your tool)Hold ZHold Z
Pan the canvasHold Space Bar and dragHold Space Bar and drag
Fit on ScreenCtrl 0Command 0
Duplicate layerCtrl JCommand J
Create clipping maskCtrl Alt GCommand Option G
Subtract from a Quick SelectionAlt-dragOption-drag
Free TransformCtrl TCommand T
Scale from the center while transformingShift Alt-dragShift Option-drag
Open the Fill dialogShift BackspaceShift Delete
Fill with the foreground colorAlt BackspaceOption Delete
DeselectCtrl DCommand D
Load a channel as a selectionCtrl-click the channel thumbnailCommand-click the channel thumbnail
Add a black layer mask that hides everythingAlt-click the Add Layer Mask iconOption-click the Add Layer Mask icon
Swap foreground and background colorsXX
Brush size larger or smaller] or [] or [
Move ToolVV
CopyCtrl CCommand C
PasteCtrl VCommand V

How the Out of Bounds Effect in Photoshop Works

The out of bounds effect in Photoshop is built from a short stack of layers. Once you understand the stack, every step that follows makes sense.

The photo frame sits at the bottom. A vector shape traces its opening.

One copy of the snowboarder is clipped to that shape, so it only shows inside the frame. A second copy sits on top with a layer mask around the snowboarder. That top copy is the part that leaps out of the frame.

Snow elements slide between the two copies, so the powder seems to spill out of the picture. A drop shadow and a painted shadow tie everything to the table.

If you would rather start from a ready-made layout, the Instagram 3D pop-out photo effect uses the same idea with linked layers and a free template.

Note: The project uses three Adobe Stock photos plus a set of snow elements. You do not need to license them to follow along, because the watermarked previews work for practice.

Step 1: Draw a Vector Shape Over the Frame in Photoshop

Start with two layers: the photo frame background and the snow border. The goal is to isolate the black opening in the middle of the frame.

You could select the black area with a selection tool. A vector shape is the better choice. It gives you a smaller file, and you can edit it later.

  1. Hold Z (Windows) or Z (macOS) and click to zoom into one corner of the frame. Release the key, and Photoshop returns you to the tool you had before.
  2. Select the Pen Tool. In the Options bar, set the dropdown to Shape.
  3. Click on one corner of the opening, then click on the next corner.
  4. Hold the Space Bar (Windows) or Space Bar (macOS) and drag to pan down. Click the bottom right corner, then the bottom left corner.
  5. Hold the Space Bar (Windows) or Space Bar (macOS) again, pan back up, and click the first point to close the path.

The fill color of the shape does not matter. Set it to red so you can see it clearly against the frame.

Tip: Double-click the Zoom Tool to view the image at 100%. To see the whole composition again, right-click the canvas with the Zoom Tool and choose Fit on Screen.

Step 2: Clip a Copy of the Snowboarder to the Shape

Now bring in the subject. She needs two copies, and this step sets up the one that stays inside the frame.

  1. Turn on the snowboarder layer and drag it to the top of the Layers panel.
  2. Press CtrlJ (Windows) or CommandJ (macOS) to duplicate it. You now have two copies.
  3. Click the eye icon on the top copy to hide it for now.
  4. Select the bottom copy and press CtrlAltG (Windows) or CommandOptionG (macOS) to clip it to the shape below it.

The clipped copy now shows only inside the red shape. This is the part of the photo that stays in the frame.

Note: A clipping mask uses the layer below as a stencil. Wherever the shape has pixels, the clipped layer shows. Everywhere else, it is hidden.

Step 3: Mask the Snowboarder So She Pops Out of the Frame

The top copy is the one that breaks out of the frame. It needs a layer mask that follows the outline of the snowboarder.

  1. Turn the top copy back on and select it.
  2. Select the Quick Selection Tool and drag across the snowboarder.
  3. If the selection grabs an area that clearly does not belong, hold Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) and drag over it to remove it.
  4. With the selection active, click the Add Layer Mask icon at the bottom of the Layers panel.

Do not aim for a perfect selection yet. Get close, then move on. The fine details come in Step 5.

The top copy is now masked to the snowboarder, and she appears to leap over the edge of the frame.

Note: The current version of Photoshop has a Select Subject button in the Options bar that selects her in one click. The newer 3D pop-out effect tutorial builds the same look with Select Subject and two layer masks.

The two copies must stay lined up, or the snowboarder will split at the edge of the frame. Linking them solves that.

  1. Click the top copy, hold Shift (Windows) or Shift (macOS), and click the clipped copy below it so both are selected.
  2. Click the chain link icon at the bottom of the Layers panel to link them.
  3. Press CtrlT (Windows) or CommandT (macOS) to bring up Free Transform.
  4. If you cannot see the corner handles, press Ctrl0 (Windows) or Command0 (macOS). Photoshop fits the view so all four handles are on screen.
  5. Hold ShiftAlt (Windows) or ShiftOption (macOS) and drag a corner handle to scale the snowboarder down from the center.
  6. Press Enter (Windows) or Return (macOS) to commit the transformation.

Linked layers move together with the Move Tool, even when they sit in different groups. That keeps the two halves of the snowboarder together no matter where you drag them.

Note: In the current version of Photoshop, Free Transform keeps the proportions locked by default, so you do not need to hold Shift. Hold Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) alone to scale from the center.

Step 5: Refine the Mask Edge in Photoshop

Zoom in and look for two problems: a thin blue outline around her body, and any patch of sky left inside the mask.

  1. Click the layer mask thumbnail on the top copy.
  2. In the Properties panel, click Mask Edge. If you do not see the panel, go to Window > Properties.
  3. Drag Shift Edge to a negative value. Watch the blue line shrink away, and stop before you lose detail you want to keep.
  4. Paint over the hair with the brush inside the dialog to pull in the finer strands. Click OK.
  5. Select the Brush Tool and paint with white on the mask to bring back any area you want to keep.
  6. Press X (Windows) or X (macOS) to swap the foreground and background colors. Paint with black to hide areas like the sky.

Note: In the current version of Photoshop, the Mask Edge button is called Select and Mask. It opens a workspace with the same Shift Edge slider and a Refine Edge Brush Tool for hair.

The video leaves some of this cleanup for later. The final image at the top of this post shows how the mask looks after a little more time with the brush.

Step 6: Remove the Shovel With Content-Aware Fill

Hold Z (Windows) or Z (macOS), right-click the canvas, and choose Fit on Screen. The snowboarder is in place, so now come the extra elements that make the composite more realistic and more interesting.

The first one is a pile of snow with a shovel stuck in it. The shovel has to go.

  1. Open the snow and shovel image in its own document.
  2. Select the Lasso Tool and draw a loose selection around the shovel. It does not need to be accurate.
  3. Press ShiftBackspace (Windows) or ShiftDelete (macOS), or go to Edit > Fill, to open the Fill dialog.
  4. Set Contents to Content-Aware and click OK. Photoshop fills the selection with matching snow, and the shovel disappears.
  5. Press CtrlD (Windows) or CommandD (macOS) to deselect.

Note: The current version of Photoshop also has the Remove Tool and the Content-Aware Fill workspace. Either one removes the shovel just as well.

Step 7: Mask the Snow With a Channel in Photoshop

The snow needs to be cut away from the ground. A channel mask handles this well, because the snow is much brighter than the floor.

  1. Open the Channels panel and look for the channel with the most contrast between snow and ground. Here it is the Blue channel.
  2. Drag the Blue channel onto the Create new channel icon to duplicate it. Work on the copy, never the original.
  3. With the Lasso Tool, draw a rough selection around the top part of the snow that you know you want to keep.
  4. Make sure white is the foreground color, then press AltBackspace (Windows) or OptionDelete (macOS) to fill the selection with white. Press CtrlD (Windows) or CommandD (macOS) to deselect.
  5. Go to Image > Apply Image. Set Blending to Screen and click OK. The snow along the edge turns white.
  6. Go to Image > Adjustments > Levels. Drag the sliders until the snow reads as white and the ground turns darker, then click OK.
  7. Select the Brush Tool with black as the foreground color. Press ] (Windows) or ] (macOS) to enlarge the brush, and paint over the floor to turn it black.
  8. Run Levels once more to darken the dark pixels and brighten the midtones.
  9. Hold Ctrl (Windows) or Command (macOS) and click the Blue copy thumbnail to load it as a selection.
  10. Return to the Layers panel, select the layer, and click the Add Layer Mask icon.

Apply Image blends the channel onto itself with a blend mode. Screen brightens the light areas, which pushes the snow toward white. Multiply would darken it instead and give a different result.

Anything white in the channel becomes selected, and anything black stays hidden. You do not need to be precise with the brush. Close enough is good enough.

The mask will not be perfect, but the floor and the table are close in color, so small flaws will not show. For more ways to build masks from channels, see these Photoshop masking tricks.

Step 8: Bring the Snow Into the Effect

The snow layer now moves into the frame document. It comes in far too large, so it needs scaling, flipping and a little distortion.

  1. Select the Move Tool by pressing V (Windows) or V (macOS). Drag the snow layer up onto the tab of the frame document, wait for it to switch, then drop it on the canvas.
  2. Press CtrlT (Windows) or CommandT (macOS), then Ctrl0 (Windows) or Command0 (macOS) to see the corner handles. Hold Shift (Windows) or Shift (macOS) and drag a corner to scale the snow down.
  3. Right-click inside the transform box and choose Flip Horizontal so the pile matches the angle of the scene.
  4. Right-click again and choose Distort. Drag the corners to match the perspective of the table, then press Enter (Windows) or Return (macOS).
  5. Hold Z (Windows) or Z (macOS), right-click, and choose Fit on Screen. Press V (Windows) or V (macOS) and nudge the snow into place if you need to.
  6. Click the Create a new group icon and drag the snow layer into the group. Collapse the group.
  7. Hold Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) and click the Add Layer Mask icon. This gives the group a black mask, which hides everything.
  8. Select the Brush Tool and paint with white on the mask to reveal the snow where you want it. Use [ (Windows) or [ (macOS) and ] (Windows) or ] (macOS) to resize the brush as you go.

Tip: If you reveal too much snow, press X (Windows) or X (macOS) to switch to black and paint it back out. Switching back and forth lets you shape the pile until it looks right.

Step 9: Add Snow Elements With the Screen Blend Mode

The snow elements are white powder clouds on a black background. The Screen blend mode makes the black vanish, so they need no mask at all.

  1. Open the Libraries panel and open the snow elements file. You can also open the watermarked preview from your desktop like any other image.
  2. Select the Lasso Tool, draw a selection around one element, and press CtrlC (Windows) or CommandC (macOS) to copy it. Press CtrlD (Windows) or CommandD (macOS) to deselect.
  3. Switch back to the frame document and press CtrlV (Windows) or CommandV (macOS) to paste.
  4. Change the layer’s blend mode to Screen. The black pixels disappear, and only the bright snow stays.
  5. Press CtrlT (Windows) or CommandT (macOS), then Ctrl0 (Windows) or Command0 (macOS), and scale the element down. Press Ctrl0 (Windows) or Command0 (macOS) again to zoom back in.
  6. Rotate the element into position. Right-click and choose Flip Horizontal if it fits better the other way, then press Enter (Windows) or Return (macOS).
  7. Repeat with a second element. Drag it further back in the scene and use the Move Tool to fit it into position.

Scale, rotate and distort each element as much as you need. Whatever it takes for the snow to look like it belongs is the right amount.

Warning: Watch where each element sits in the layer stack. If a snow element gets cut off at the edge of the frame, drag it between the top copy of the snowboarder and the clipped copy. The snow then flows through into the frame instead of stopping at it.

Step 10: Add Shadows to Sell the Out of Bounds Effect

The snow on the table needs a shadow, and so does the snowboard. Without them, the elements float.

  1. Open the group and double-click the snow layer to open the Layer Style dialog. Click Drop Shadow.
  2. Set the blend mode to Multiply. Change the color from black to a dark burgundy, similar to the color right under the frame.
  3. Lower the Opacity until the shadow is a soft hint, around 25%. At 100% it is far too strong.
  4. Set the direction so the shadow falls to the left. The light on her face and on the frame comes from the right, so the shadows belong on the opposite side.
  5. Click OK, then create a new layer and drag it to the top of the group.
  6. Select the Eyedropper Tool and sample the color under the board. Make it a little darker, since the sample is too light.
  7. Paint the shadow coming off the board, set the layer’s blend mode to Multiply, and lower its Opacity until it sits quietly in the scene.

Tip: A shadow in pure black rarely looks right. Sample a dark color from the scene instead. For a deeper look at shadow color and perspective, see how to make realistic shadows in Photoshop.

The only difference between this result and the final image is time. The final version got more work on the mask and more care in placing the elements. The techniques are the same.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the out of bounds effect in Photoshop?

It is a composite that makes a subject look like it is breaking out of a photo frame, a screen or a border. Part of the subject stays inside the frame, and part of it extends past the edge. It is also known as the 3D pop-out photo effect.

Do I need the Photoshop 3D tools to make a 3D pop-out photo effect?

No. The 3D in the name describes the look, not the tools. The effect is built with a vector shape, a clipping mask, layer masks and a drop shadow. Any version of Photoshop with those features can do it.

Why use the Pen Tool instead of a selection for the frame?

A shape drawn with the Pen Tool is a vector, so it keeps the file smaller than a pixel mask. It also stays editable. If the frame opening needs a tweak later, you drag a point instead of redrawing a selection.

What does a clipping mask do in Photoshop?

A clipping mask uses the layer below as a stencil for the layer above. The upper layer only shows where the lower layer has pixels. Select the upper layer and press CtrlAltG (Windows) or CommandOptionG (macOS) to create one.

Where is Mask Edge in Photoshop?

Mask Edge was a button in the Properties panel in Photoshop 2015. In the current version it is called Select and Mask, and it opens as a full workspace. Select a layer mask, then click Select and Mask in the Properties panel to open it.

How does the Screen blend mode remove a black background?

Screen keeps the bright pixels of a layer and lets the dark pixels fade to nothing. Pure black becomes fully transparent. That is why a white snow element on a black background blends in with no mask.

How do I make a shadow look realistic in a composite?

Match the direction of the light in the photo, and set the shadow layer or layer style to Multiply. Use a dark color sampled from the scene instead of black, then lower the Opacity until the shadow is subtle. A shadow at full strength almost always looks fake.

Can I practice with Adobe Stock watermarked previews?

Yes. Adobe Stock lets you download a watermarked preview of any image without buying it. The preview is fine for learning a technique. License the full-resolution file only when you want to use the finished image.

Conclusion

You built the out of bounds effect in Photoshop from a vector shape, a clipping mask and two copies of the same photo. That is the whole trick behind the pop-out look.

The snow, the channel mask and the shadows are the details that make it believable. None of them needs more than the tools every beginner already has.

Watch the video above to see each step in motion, and comment on the video if you have a question.

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Keep going

Next, make a 3D pop-out effect in Photoshop with two layer masks.

Final Image

Drag the slider to see before and after

After: How to Create the Out of Bounds Effect in Photoshop (3D Pop-Out Photo Effect)
Before: How to Create the Out of Bounds Effect in Photoshop (3D Pop-Out Photo Effect)
Jesús Ramirez

About the author

Jesús Ramirez

Jesús Ramirez is a graphic designer and the founder of the Photoshop Training Channel, which he started in 2012 and has grown past two million YouTube subscribers. He has taught at Adobe MAX, Adobe Summit, and Photoshop World, teaches courses for CreativeLive and Pluralsight, and was one of five artists chosen for Adobe Stock's Make a Masterpiece campaign. His Photoshop templates shipped inside Photoshop CC 2018.

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6 Comments

  3. Being a New PhotoShop User, I Was very excited when I ran into your video. Things were going great until you first you state to grap a pencil…oh well. I finallly figured that out. Yet after you make a copy (new layer) of the snowboarder, you state ..click on the box inside the picture. My question…what is the box…. a mask, a smart object,etc. Needless to say, I was unable to complete the tutorial for a few reasons… my lack of knowledge, and watching the video on my IPad, I found it very difficult to see the icons on your layers, the print is very small…or it could be, my eyes are very old!

    Would love to complete your tutorial, if you can provide additional instructions. Also, does this channel assume everyone has Photoshop knowledge? If so, perhaps adding “advanced user” should be included in the title. Thank You!

  4. How do you make it look like the snowboarder incoming out of the whole picture without the frame in the background, as years ago I saw a picture on a wall of a table and wine glass and the wine glass gave the illusion that it was a foot in front of the main picture and you went to grab the glass that looked real, but your hand went through the wine glass, but the wine glass looked real as if it was really in front of the main picture.

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