Create white background for fiddly image

[Killer133]

PSP 2019 Ultimate

I have an image of a thistle, taken on a 'white' background. I've searched this forum to discover how to get a perfectly white background and have tried Flood Fill and Color Changer but due to the fiddly nature of the parts of the thistle this is really tricky to get right. I've also tried creating a white rectangle on a Raster layer and playing with options there - I can get it close to what I want but not quite perfect.

My question is: is there a simple way that I am not finding, to achieve what I want?

Thank you

[ehume]

I used to have the same issue. Sometimes I would use the Magic Wand tool to select the background, flood fill to white. I would supplement that with the Paint Brush tool, set to white. That started with old PSP versions. These days, I would see if the Auto Selection tool would do the job.

Q - with PSP 2020, there is a Refine. I can't remember if it's a Refine Selection or a Refine Brush. If you have an earlier PSP, you can try the Auto Selection with the the selection added-to via the Smart Selection Brush.

Or perhaps one of the experts knows a trick . . .

[Kathy_9]

Might be a good idea to post your image so we can take a look.

[Killer133]

Thank you for the quick responses and ideas. Here is a version of the image. As an aside, the original is 7MB; the forum told me attachments had to be maximum 2mb; when I reduced to 1.98mb it then said maximum size is 500kb?!

I hope this is good enough quality to work with. Some of the selection techniques I've tried or that have been suggested leave parts of the thistle "head" as part of the selection, so the fine 'tendrils' are included as part of the background and so when the color change tool is used, they 'disappear.'

[Jean-Luc]

Create a new raster layer filled with white.
Place it under the flowers layer.
In the Layers palette, select the flowers layer.
Right-click to access Properties.
Select Blend Ranges tab.
Blend channel: Grey Channel.
This layer:
- upper right triangle (cursor) set to 52
- lower right triangle (cursor) set to 172
Could be different values with the original image.

[ehume]

Jean-Luc, you certainly are the layers wisdom. Caused me to do some experimenting on my own. Here is 52/107:

(Notice the background here is closer to pure white.)

BTW -- OP, maximum pixel size is 950x800. This board will only accept jpg's and png's.

[Killer133]

Thank you Jean-Luc. I'm unsure how to "Create a new raster layer filled with white."

I've googled and tried myself. I thought it would be a case of creating the Raster layer then in the Properties dialog box on the 'Layer Styles' tab set the color to white. I've tried this but the result doesn't look like yours. The Raster layer still looks transparent (the checkerboard pattern).

I'm missing something, I thin how to create a new white Raster layer.

[Killer133]

"BTW -- OP, maximum pixel size is 950x800. This board will only accept jpg's and png's."

ehume - thanks for this info, it'll save me a lot of mucking around next time.

[Jean-Luc]

Thank you Jean-Luc. I'm unsure how to "Create a new raster layer filled with white."

Create the raster layer (it will be transparent).
Select the Fill tool.
Select White in the Foreground colour (Materials Palette).
Click with the Fill tool on the transparent layer to fill it with white.

[Killer133]

indeed!! Thank you. I knew it had to be easy. I think I've tried everything except that