Nice tutorial. True, it doesn’t beat true vectoring/tracing, but for most edits, I think good ‘copypasting’ like this is enough.  
I actually never thought of this technique.

If you’re interested in learning how to make actual vectors, then I recommend Inkscape (free program) and this tutorial:
 
http://mandydax.deviantart.com/art/Inkscape-Vector-Art-Tutorial-267135365
 
It’s how I started myself.

@Mugen Kagemaru  
Usually people create vectors for the purpose of being used within some other work (their own or someone else’s). They make the bitmap versions of their images large so that artists who, for whatever reason, are unable to (or unwilling to) work directly with the original vector format have access to a bitmap that maintains a fair amount of quality when scaled.

@Beatfox  
I thought that’s what he was describing here, but now I see what you mean. This is merely a cutout tutorial of sorts. Whoops.

@Millennial Dan  
Creating an actual vector involves a lot more than what DTK describes here. It requires tracing all of the character’s lines, not just the outline. Good vector artists also pay close attention to line widths and line ending shapes in order to mimic the appearance of the original image as closely as possible.

@DanielTepesKraus  
I always make my SVGs available alongside the exported PNG, whenever I make ’em.

@Millennial Dan  
@Mugen Kagemaru
 
The trouble with that, is most people end up saving them as flattened PNGs, which converts them to raster format, and defeats the entire purpose.

@Millennial Dan
 
As in I’ve NEVER found any normal sized ones. Anywhere!

@Mugen Kagemaru  
Vectors can be exported at any size at all. That’s the whole point, really.

@Millennial Dan
 
The only issue I’ve had with vectors is that they’ve always been SO FUCKING HUGE!!!

You know, creating an actual vector trace is essentially this very process. Only difference is the filetype you’re left with at the end. Most imaging programs (like GIMP) save raster images primarily.

@Background Pony #4EC9  
This creates a far nicer cut. You can turn around and lay the isolated pic into another scene and it looks like it belongs. It’s what I used to make >>538721, >>529922, >>425561, and >>385424 to name a few. It’s quality falls between simply cutting it out and drawing a vector from scratch, which is the point for me: To make the edit look as indistinguishable from an actual episode as possible.
 
 
@Marusame  
It’s actually really damned fast once you’ve figured it out. I did that entire tutorial pic in about five minutes, text, trace, and all.

i dont know how to create vectors, how to draw with them (i use a mouse only) or even what the vector tool is. I mainly mess with layers, alpha layers, and cut and blur or smudge if need be and the clone stamper.
 
Ill have to look up tutorials on how to even start using this vector thing and if its TOO time consuming i may not bother if it takes alot of hand drawing.

>blowing up raster images then shrinking them back down again  
oh god why don’t you just trace around the edges with the pen and cut it out