How to drop out back ground from photo?

[Vinylman]

Is there an EASY way to eliminate the back ground area from a photo so that when it is placed on a different back ground there is NO bounding box that has a white area behind it? I want to take a photo, drop out the back ground, then place it on a gradient area and have ONLY the photo show up WITHOUT the back ground from the original photo, I have tried UNSUCCESSFULLY several ways, and always when I paste the converted photo into the new layout the original white bounding box shows up. I want the converted photo to have NO back ground, What am I missing??

Please help Photoshop® gurus.

Thanks

 

[Fred Weiss]

You could be causing yourself a problem by using the copy and paste route instead of saving the image and importing it into the application where you are assembling the image.

You need to use a format that supports transparency such as PNG, PSD or TIF.

You need to be using an application that supports transparency such as Photoshop or Illustrator. Flexi, for example, does not do a good job and you have to resort to masks.

Are you achieving transparency by actually removing the background or are you using a mask?

 

[iSign]

Fred has pretty much hinted at all the answers you will need, but if there is any part he was saving for after you give more info, I'll chime in with how I do this.

In photoshop, the default layer name (& charteristics) is "background"
In the layer pallette, if you double click this layer name, you will get a box to change the name. the default name "layer 0" pops up, which works for me. Now that the photo is not a background, you can select & delete anything (like a white square behind a desired image) and you will get photoshops grey checkerboard representation of transparency)

I know this is rudimentary stuff for many, so it may be nothing new for you either, but may help someone reading this.

At this point, with the background deleted, you could save as a .psd file & as fred indicated, IMPORT into illustrator for example, & set it on your gradient background.

Also following Fred's lead, if I wanted to end up in Flexi for example, I would still go through illustrator to put my transparent image over whatever (your gradient background) & then export as a .tif file to print from Flexi.

Also, from that original photoshop file, you could save as a .gif file with transparency, and post images, on this site for example, with a transparent background.

 

[iSign]

your avatar was a .gif, which I opened in PS and it showed up in the index color mode. I changed to rgb & got the familiar "background' name in my layers pallette, then following my instructions above, I saved as a .gif (with transparency box checked) I made a gradient box in illustrator, & placed the original .gif I swiped from you post, followed by the one i just saved:

 

[Rodi]

Bob, what I do is fairly simple, in photoshop make a new layer and make that the background layer and make it transparent, go to the layer you want to cut out of and then copy and paste on the file you want. Or on the bottom layer that is transparent and add your gradient

 

[Vinylman]

Fred & iSign,

Thanks for the quick replys.

It was just what I was looking for.

the thing I kept forgetting was what Doug pointed out about the "background". I was forgetting to make another layer. Couldn't figure out why when I saved the image it kept the white box even after I had erased the back ground.

well NOW it works perfectly.

THANK YOU so Much.

BTW: in Photosho CS3 there is an eraser that will eliminate the background a number of different ways once you learn how to adjust the parameters, pretty slick. It is called "Magic eraser"

 

[iSign]

BTW: in Photosho CS3 there is an eraser that will eliminate the background a number of different ways once you learn how to adjust the parameters, pretty slick. It is called "Magic eraser"

I'll have to check that out!

 

[Rodi]

I use an old masking Program Ultimatte Knockout (now a plug in from Corel) and Mask Pro 2.00.

They both work well.

 

[Fred Weiss]

I prefer the Bezier pen tool, then convert to selection, then delete. Takes a little longer but very nice results.

 

[zmatalucci]

I use the magic wand tool a lot in cs3. then do layer via cut,,, then delete the unwanted bkgnd.

 

[Fred Weiss]

The problem I have with the Magic Wand or the Magic Eraser or just plain selecting and deleting is that it uses a global setting for tolerance so that you often get a poor selection that either leaves artifacts or removes pixels I want to keep. I sometimes will use the Magnetic Wand which works well when you have decent edge contrast.

 

[Rodi]

It is a detail oriented process, and to make it look real you need to have the right tools and sometimes the right tool in the wrong hand is dangerous. Each image has its own challenge!

 

[Biker Scout]

Multiply filter drops out the white background as well. But in most instances it won't be the magic bullet you are looking for as it also blends the color of the top object as well.

I like it for wispy items such as hair or tree branches, and I just add a quickie white vector layer object mask underneath the "bulk" of the object that I don't want the object to multiply with. For instance, if it's a face, I'll draw a shape that resembles most of her head, but not go to the edges of her hair... her hair looks "Masked" and transparent in all the right parts perfectly over whatever background I choose.

It's a quick and dirty way to do it. This works in InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop.

 

[Biker Scout]

Here's a visual of what I'm talking about. I didn't have time, nor the desire to go through all the pictures and edit pixel by pixel the girl's hair. And a path line would have been too harsh.

Drawing a quick vector and placing it just under the layer allows for the wispy hair effect.

These were 10' tall windows at a local Paul Mitchell School.

 

[Gene@mpls]

Mask Pro 4 does an incredible job of masking hair etc- actually does transparent images like a gauzy ladies garment- check the video demo below- it is on sale now (one more day) for $130 with the code (MP43). I have tried the download demo and it is great.



http://www.ononesoftware.com/quick/...0709&utm_source=QH_MP4MPDemo&utm_medium=email

 

[luggnut]

I like it for wispy items such as hair or tree branches, and I just add a quickie white vector layer object mask underneath the "bulk" of the object that I don't want the object to multiply with. For instance, if it's a face, I'll draw a shape that resembles most of her head, but not go to the edges of her hair... her hair looks "Masked" and transparent in all the right parts perfectly over whatever background I choose.

man that is a cool trick!! i never thought or heard of that.... and i thought i knew everything!!! j/k

 

[peavey123]

Does anyone do clipping masks in photoshop anymore? or is that old-school?