We receive as many questions about setting up a chromakey studio as we do about working with our Primatte software. This section is devoted to Q & A about Primatte. For questions about blue/green screens, lighting and staging with chromakey please visit our Chromakey Studio section.
Don't see the answer you need? Contact us with this Request Form.
If the Backdrop is small relative to the Subject, it may be hidden behind the Subject. The Backdrop will appear in the center of the Preview Window and will be behind the Subject.
Also, Primatte Chromakey remembers the settings from previous Backdrops. So click on the Reset button in the Move section to make sure any scaling or positioning from the last Backdrop is removed. Read moreDepending on the Backdrop you have selected and the LightWrap Blend Mode you have selected, there may be little change to the image.
The Add blend mode is a good way to see if anything is happening. So set LightWrap to Add and set Brightness to 100. You will definitely see a difference. Probably too much of a difference. But you can then back off the effect to something more usable. Also, if you have a very large image, the Radius of the effect may need to be set higher.
Read moreWhen you launch Primatte Chromakey, AutoMask is turned on and will automatically attempt to key the subject. You can turn AutoMask off by going to the AM Settings dialog and unchecking ‘Always On’.
If ‘Always On’ is off, Primatte will still automatically try to key the image, but it will use the settings from the last use of Primatte. This is useful if you have a series of images that are similar and AutoMask doesn’t work on. Primatte will remember the settings from the first image and use those settings for subsequent images.
Read moreUsually when this happens the ‘Render BD’ button is not turned on. This stands for ‘Render Backdrop’. If it is not turned on, Primatte assumes you are just using the Backdrop for preview purposes and will not render it in Photoshop.
The Subject will be against a transparent background. If you turn ‘Render BD’ on, then Primatte will composite the Subject and Backdrop and render both out to Photoshop. You will not be able to change the background in Photoshop if you do this.
Read moreUnfortunately, the Primatte plugin is not realtime since it operates within Photoshop, which is not a realtime application.
You can see a fairly quick preview when you are setting up the mask in the Primatte interface and many of those masks are automatic, depending upon how well the original image was shot. However, the plugin will need to render its mask and bring you back to Photoshop proper.
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We have seen this problem occasionally with computers running a non-English version of Adobe Photoshop. Typically the language is German or French. On English language computers, Primatte automatically installs into the 'Plug-ins' folder in the Photoshop directory. In the German (or French) version of Photoshop, that directory is called 'Modules' or 'Modules Externes'. Usually the Primatte installer can take care of this but sometimes it doesn't. The magenta cast that you are seeing will show up if Primatte does not immediately figure out its mask correctly. Primatte typically removes the green background and leaves a transparent area.
If it removes too much of the green, however, then the opposite color on the color wheel, which is magenta, shows up. That problem happens very rarely and easy to take care of by using the 3-tool combination instead of the AutoMask button.
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Primatte will not work with that kind of image. Primatte Chromakey is not a general masking plugin. Many masking tools concentrate on finding the edges around your subject. Therefore, your subject can be posed against any type of background.
In contrast, Primatte finds a photograph's color space. It's the best way to mask around fine details that are otherwise difficult, like wispy hair and sheer fabric. When you use Primatte, your subject must always be against a single color background
Most likely, you have the wrong layer selected in your Photoshop file. You need to cancel Primatte, then go into your Photoshop Layers palette. Select the layer that contains your blue (or green) screened image. 
Yes, Primatte Chromakey software DOES work with 16-bit files. In fact, Primatte works faster with 16-bit files than with 8-bit files. This is because Primatte processes your file natively in 16-bit.
If you are experiencing speed issues, you may want to convert your file from 8-bit to 16-bit through Photoshop's Image> Mode menu.
The original Primatte 2.0 release was unable to support multiple layers in 16-bit. However, we released a free 2.1 update to Primatte that takes care of this problem. Contact us for the Primatte 2.1 update.
If you are using version 3.0, that version has always been compatible with 16-bit files.
Most likely, you are working on a ‘Background’ layer that does not support transparency. You need to edit that layer to allow your Photoshop file to support transparency. You must do this BEFORE working with Primatte Chromakey.
In Adobe Photoshop, you have 'regular' layers that are fully editable and support transparency. You may also have a single 'Background' layer that has a Lock icon. This is like a piece of paper that's glued down. You need to unglue that Background layer.
To do so, in your Photoshop Layers palette, double-click the Background layer. You will get a dialog box; just click the 'OK' button. Your layer now reads as 'Layer 0' instead of 'Background' and does not have a Lock icon.
Now your Photoshop layer can support the transparency that Primatte needs.
Most likely, you are trying to apply Primatte to a Grayscale file. Primatte works only on 24-bit color space files, which would be RGB or CMYK mode. Primatte does not work in Index or Grayscale mode.
In Adobe Photoshop, convert your file to RBG or CMYK through the Image> Mode menu item.
Most likely you did not install the Primatte plugin correctly. This error means that Primatte can't properly find all of its support files. When you install Primatte, you need to install directly into the Plugins folder of Adobe Photoshop. You cannot install elsewhere on your hard drive, then drag the files over.
You should install the Primatte plugin again. First you will want to throw away this current installation. To do this, run a 'Find File' command (Mac) or 'Search' command (Windows) for the word 'primatte'. Throw away the files that come up. Then do a fresh install with the Primatte installer. We have a Windows install doc and a Mac install doc that explain this process in detail.
Most likely you did not install the Primatte plugin correctly. This error usually occurs when the Photoshop plugin has been moved from its original install location.
Here are some suggestions:
There are two ways. You can add the backdrop in Photoshop. Primatte will key out the Subject and return them to Photoshop on a background of transparency. You can then put any layer behind the keyed subject. OR, you can use Primatte’s Backdrop Section. This will allow you to select an image off your hard drive and Primatte will composite the Subject against the Backdrop you select.
The issue is that you cannot 'drag and drop' a plugin file from one Application folder to another. You need to do a fresh, new installation. You also need throw away the current Primatte files.
When you reinstall the plugin, you will install directly into the Photoshop 'Plugins' folder.
>Otherwise, the plugin will not be able to properly find resource and support files that are placed in your computer. To get the Primatte installer, please contact us.
Read moreThere is a lot of free information about using layers in Adobe Photoshop. You can also buy great books and training DVD's. We have a list of recommendationed free training material here.
Primatte doesn't save mask / alpha information directly, but there is a simple workaround. Here's what you do: Render out a Primatte mask as you would normally. Then re-render the mask on a duplicate Photoshop layer as a grayscale image. You do this by rendering with 'Mask View' selected.
Now copy/paste that grayscale image into a Layer Mask on the original layer. Then load in the Layer Mask as selection, and save as an alpha channel.
Need more details? Read our PDF Tutorial Steps to create an Alpha Channel or Layer Mask with Primatte Tutorial.
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There are two ways to render out Primatte Chromakey. You have accidentally chosen the second way. Both methods are shown below.
Method 1- If you render out Primatte with the 'Comp View' mode showing, then you will get the expected result. This is your subject against transparent pixels, of course.
Method 2- When you render out your Primatte mask with the 'Mask View' mode showing, then Primatte renders out a grayscale image. That's great for additional editing if you know a lot about Photoshop. Otherwise, you will want to render with 'Comp View'.
In contrast, Primatte finds a photograph's color space. It's the best way to mask around fine details that are otherwise difficult, like wispy hair and sheer fabric. When you use Primatte, your subject must always be against a single color background
A 15-second mask is actually pretty speedy when you consider that Primatte Chromakey is running some pretty heavy math through Photoshop's architecture. If you compare that performance to applying any intensive filter in Photoshop, like Extract or Warp, its time frame is comparable.
Having said that, Primatte's speed is something that we optimize with each dot release. And there are a few ways to work with the plugin a little faster.
In contrast, Primatte finds a photograph's color space. It's the best way to mask around fine details that are otherwise difficult, like wispy hair and sheer fabric. When you use Primatte, your subject must always be against a single color background
It sounds as if you have correctly installed the plugin. However, you want to access it through your Photoshop application, not from your hard drive.
It sounds as if you have correctly installed the plugin. However, you want to access it through your Photoshop application, not from your hard drive
The checkerboard background that you see is related to Photoshop, not Primatte. This is how Photoshop expresses an area in your file that is transparent. The checkerboard will not print or display itself visually outside of Photoshop.
To turn on/off or adjust the view options, go to your Photoshop preferences. On Windows, choose Edit> Preferences. On a Mac (shown below), choose Photoshop> Preferences. Go to the 'Transparency & Gamut' option.
Primatte is available for most applications in other visual disciplines, such as photography, special effects, video production, and 2D compositing. Digital Anarchy only develops and sells the Photoshop version of Primatte.
If you are interested in Primatte for any software other than Photoshop, please visit Photron at www.primatte.com for more details.
Unfortunately, Primatte Chromakey cannot fix bad lighting. Like all photography, chromakey photos need good lighting. If the photo is too dark or bright, if your subject is not well-lit or the lighting is uneven, then Primatte will have difficulty creating a good mask. The background color is too uneven, for instance, for Primatte to distinguish its bright spots from the light colors in your subject (like teeth and eyes). Alternately, your subject is not clearly defined from the background if there are uneven shadows falling along the screen and the model. Read about how to light properly.
Unfortunately, Primatte Chromakey cannot fix wrinkles. Wrinkles and folds can easily creep into the back screen if you aren't paying attention to how it lays. This causes uneven tones and makes it difficult for Primatte to define the range of color that it needs to remove. Primatte can't tell the difference between the dark wrinkle colors and the dark colors of your subject (like folds of clothing). Read about working with a screen.
Unfortunately, Primatte Chromakey cannot fix shadows. After your photoshoot, you may notice a deep shadow cast along the backing screen. This shadow generally happens from the subject being placed too close to the chromakey screen. Problem is, Primatte can't tell the difference between those dark shadow colors and the dark colors in your subject (like folds of clothing). Ideally, your subject should be positioned at least 4-6 feet away from the screen and preferably up to 10 feet. If your subject is sitting only 1-2 feet away from the green screen then unwanted shadows will occur. Read about working with a screen.
There are a couple possible reasons for this. First, you need to click and drag on the image for the tools to work. Secondly, you must select one of the checkboxes that say ‘Subject’, ‘Backdrop’, or ‘Overlay’. These checkboxes tell Primatte what you want the tool to work on. If you want to Move the Subject and Backdrop, you select the Move tool and turn on the checkbox next to ‘Backdrop’ and ‘Subject’. You’ll now be able to move both.
Hold down the Shift key while clicking and dragging. This will constrain the ratio of the image as you’re scaling it, just like it does in Photoshop.
Primatte will remember any changes you made to previous Backdrops. So if you scaled and rotated the last Backdrop you used, Primatte will apply these settings to the new Backdrop. To fix this, click on the ‘Reset’ button in the Move section. Make sure the ‘Backdrop’ (or whatever you want to reset) checkbox is turned on).
We have a whole section on how to set up your chromakey section which talks about the basics of blue/green screens, lighting and staging with chromakey. To learn more about setting up your own chroma studio, go to Setup Chromo Studio.
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