Written by Steve Patterson. In this Photoshop Effects tutorial, we'll learn how to create a popular "punch through image" effect, often seen in sports and movie advertising (and weekly store flyers announcing their "incredible knock out prices!"), as if a person or object has punched a hole right through the page or image. There's quite a few steps involved in the tutorial, but as usual, they're all very simple. As we make our way through it, we'll cover some interesting techniques like converting layer styles to actual layers so we can apply filters to them, moving drop shadows around just by dragging them, and using layer groups to move multiple layers at once! I'll be using Photoshop CS5 here but any recent version of Photoshop will work.

We'll be drawing most of the effect from scratch, but to complete it, you'll also need a photo of the object that will be punching through the image. Here's what the final result will look like:

Let's get started!

Step 1: Create A New Document

Start by creating a new Photoshop document. Go up to the File menu in the Menu Bar along the top of the screen and choose New:

This opens the New Document dialog box. Enter the width, height and resolution you need for your effect. For this tutorial, I'll enter 1000 pixels for the Width, 800 pixels for the Height, and I'll leave my Resolution set to 72 pixels/inch. The size you need for your document may be different. Click OK when you're done to close out of the dialog box. Your new document will appear on your screen:

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Step 2: Add A New Layer

Click on the New Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers panel:

Nothing will happen in the document window, but a new blank layer named Layer 1 appears above the Background layer:

Step 3: Select The Polygonal Lasso Tool

Select the Polygonal Lasso Tool from the Tools panel. By default, it's hiding behind the standard Lasso Tool, so click on the Lasso Tool and hold your mouse button down for a second or two until a fly-out menu appears, then select the Polygonal Lasso Tool from the list:

Step 4: Draw A Polygonal Shape In The Center Of The Document

Use the Polygonal Lasso Tool to draw a polygonal-shaped selection in the center of the document, which will become the hole that's being punched through the image. Simply click at the points where you want the corners of the shape to appear and Photoshop will automatically connect them to create the sides of the shape as you go. There's no need to drag the tool inside the document (in fact, it won't work if you drag it). Just click at a corner point, release your mouse button, click at another corner point, release your mouse button, and so on as you make your way around the shape. Click back on the original spot to complete the shape. It should look something like this when you're done:

Step 5: Fill The Selection With Black

Go up to the Edit menu at the top of the screen and choose Fill:

This opens Photoshop's Fill dialog box which we can use to fill the selection with a color. Set the Use option at the top of the dialog box to Black:

Click OK to close out of the dialog box. Photoshop fills the selection with black. Press Ctrl+D (Win) / Command+D (Mac) to remove the selection outline from around the shape:

Step 6: Add A New Layer Below Layer 1

Hold down your Ctrl (Win) / Command (Mac) key and click again on the New Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers panel:

Normally, Photoshop adds new layers directly above the layer that's currently selected in the Layers panel, but by holding down the Ctrl / Command key while clicking the New Layer icon, we told Photoshop to add the new layer below it instead. The new layer, Layer 2, appears between Layer 1 and the Background layer:

Step 7: Select The Lasso Tool

Select the Lasso Tool from the Tools panel. It will now be hiding behind the Polygonal Lasso Tool, so click and hold on the Polygonal Lasso Tool until the fly-out menu appears, then select the Lasso Tool from the list:

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Step 8: Draw The Torn Paper Shapes

Use the Lasso Tool to draw the shape of the first piece of torn paper. Since the black polygonal shape will become the hole that's being punched through the image, each of its sides will need its own separate torn paper piece, but we'll just draw one for now. It doesn't matter which side you start with, but make sure the shape you draw covers the entire length of the side from corner to corner. Here's what my first torn paper shape looks like. Notice that I've extended the selection into the black-filled area, which made the shape easier to draw. That's okay because only the part of the selection that extends outside the black-filled shape will be visible later:

With the first shape drawn, hold down your Shift key and draw the second shape. Holding the Shift key down will add this new selection to the previous one. Again, it's okay to extend the selection into the black-filled area. Just make sure the width of the shape extends from one corner of the side to the other:

Continue holding down your Shift key and draw the remaining torn paper shapes. Each new selection will be added to the previous ones. If you're not happy with the look of your shape, press Ctrl+Z (Win) / Command+Z (Mac) to undo the selection and try again. You can also press Ctrl+Alt+Z (Win) / Command+Option+Z (Mac) repeatedly to undo multiple selections. When you're done, it should look something like this:

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