how to make transparent background for a cut photo help me

janeydoll · Post by **janeydoll** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 12:36 am

I want to cut a person out of a pic and make it a pic by itself so it is just the outline of the person and a clear transparent background.

please tell me how to do that.

i know how to do the lasso part, like to outline the person but then how do i get it onto the new pic and make it transparent. I read where you have to save in gif (or something like that) but it says it can't save in that format.

please help me soon i need to get my project done

I am new to photo editing so please explain the steps to do this process.

I just want the person out of the photo with a clear background!

heinz-oz · Post by **heinz-oz** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 1:26 am

You're not asking much, are you.

There are only a few image formats which allow for a transparent background, gif being one of them (limited to 256 colors max), tga or png are the others.

It would stretch the boundaries of this forum if we were to try to teach each new user how to use the software. There are turorials available for that and Ulead has a Learning Centre as well. Last but not least, there are the help files also. The PhotoImpactResourceCentre, PIRC, has a free beginners workshop also. Have a look around http://www.pircnet.com/ for a suitable tutorial. You can also apply for the free beginners workshop there too.

Concerning your immediate problem, once you have selected your object, go to "Selection" on the menu bar and selct "Convert to Object", once that has happened, click Ctrl+C (copy) and from the Edit menu select "Paste as a new image".

janeydoll · Post by **janeydoll** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 1:33 am

i saved as png but it has a black background

how do i make the background clear- see through

heinz-oz · Post by **heinz-oz** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 1:44 am

Which version are you using? Steps might vary for the different versions.

In PI 11, select "Transparency" and pick the color to be transparent

janeydoll · Post by **janeydoll** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 2:00 am

yes i am using photo 11

when i click save those options are all grayed out so i can't click them

janeydoll · Post by **janeydoll** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 2:03 am

ok i got it to where i can click what you showed me but it is still white, how do i make it clear or see through?

am i trying to do something that can't happen?

thanks so much for any help

heinz-oz · Post by **heinz-oz** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 2:14 am

With the color picker, did you select the color to be transparent in the left window?

janeydoll · Post by **janeydoll** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 2:17 am

yes but it is saves as white background

heinz-oz · Post by **heinz-oz** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 2:42 am

what is the source format? Where do you view it? In the "Source" and "Result" windows, when saving the png, do you see the chequered background like in my sample?

janeydoll · Post by **janeydoll** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 3:08 am

how about we just start from the beginning.

I open a picture - not new image - i edit the person i want and copy to "a new image" with transparent background

i click save as and choose png save but the background turns out black -

your question as to if i see the checkered background is yes I see the checks under the options when i click save as

am i doing something wrong

please be patient as i am not real familiar with all the terms or where to find them so you can tell me where to find the buttons (like to the left,ect)

thanks

heinz-oz · Post by **heinz-oz** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 4:04 am

OK, now we are getting somewhere at last.

You are using PI 11, right? Which workspace are you in? The menu choices given depend on the workspace selected.

One more thing. When you select "Save as", do you have the option "Invoke Options dialog box" selected? If you do, the dialog box as shown in my sample will pop up and you can select the color you would want to be transparent.

janeydoll · Post by **janeydoll** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 4:18 am

im not real sure what "workspace" means, I just simply open up photo impact 11 and then open a picture. if you can tell me how to find out what workspace im in I will do it, but I just don't know how to tell you because i don't know what workspace means.

I see that box you showed me and it is checkered but it ends up either black or white background after i save it as png

janeydoll · Post by **janeydoll** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 4:19 am

yes i have the invoke options dialog checked I JUST SAW IT

janeydoll · Post by **janeydoll** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 4:23 am

can you make a clear see through background for your images?

can this be done? is there a setting i need to change, I have not messed with any settings from the default in case that matters.

is what i am doing right? Like the order of how i get the picture and the copy and paste, ect?

thanks for the help, i really need to get this fixed, i know how to do everything but get the clear background.

Post by **Ron P.** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 4:27 am

What are you viewing your PNG image with? Unless you are using an image editing program, or something that has another color specified for the background, then the image will have either a black or white background. For example if you open your image in IE or Firefox, it will appear to have a black or white background, because you are seeing the color of the page the PNG image is being viewed on.

Try this to test this out....
Open a new image (not a photo), just select from the file menu New Image. Then in the dialogue box that opens set the background color to blue. Now open your PNG image, and right-click and copy, then paste it onto your blue background image. It should appear now as if the PNG background it blue..