Web Design and Graphics Room. Thread, hi all

Hi
Ive used IDF for a couple of years but never posted in this section before, however I have started mucking around with web design and have a couple of sites, one for my business and one for pleasure (carp fishing!).
I have only just got going so as you can imagine things are very basic. I have come up against one thing I need to figure and its more image editing I would think but I want to know how to 'cut out' a photo of a fish using either psp8 or photoshop elements V2 or microsoft digital imager 2006.
Thanks
craig

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Please feel free to visit my personal carp fishing website at www.ayorkshirecarper.co.uk
or the sites for my Sheffield based Guttering and Roofing business's at www.a1gutterclean.co.uk and www.a1roofingservices.co.uk

Not really my field but I have done it, not proficient enough to tell you how to do it though.
I did it by trial and error, a lot of error I must admit.
That said if the info is still on IDF search the photography section and also post your question there.
There were several topics on this subject in there, also look in the IDF archives of the photography section.

Have a look at this by Bry Davis in the archives, all about selections.
http://www.idf50.co.uk/webhost/membe...selections.htm

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You can do this in PSP or Photoshop. Several ways to approach it, but I would do it this way...

Rule one for any work in graphics... work on a COPY or your original!

Open up a copy of your fish photo, and make it a layer. (That's make layer from background.)

Use the eraser tool to take away everything you don't want. You will see a chequered background appear behind, (if this is distracting, you can make another layer of a contrasting colour and slot it underneath your fish layer, (but make sure you have your fish layer selected before continuing.)

When it comes to actually erasing carefully round your fish, zoom in close to help you. Make sure the anti-aliasing is on unless you want a really hard edge. Continue until all the background is erased and you have your fish cut out.

(It may seem a bit fiddly, but there's no real quick answer to cutouts whatever method you use, unless your subject is on a plain background.)


To export your cut-out fish so you can use it on a web page....

If necessary, crop your image a bit closer to the fish, to get rid of any excess space round it. To have a cut-out graphic, it needs to be exported as either a gif or a png, they are the only formats that support transparency. So you need to have one layer which is your cut out, and one layer underneath which is a plain colour, (and that colour should not appear anywhere on your fish.) That's the colour you select to be transparent during the export process.

If you REALLY need your cut-out to be a jpeg, there's a little trick you can use. Make the layer behind the fish exactly the same colour that you are using as background on your web page. Then the graphic will blend in and appear to be a cut out.

It's all easier than it sounds. Any problems, let me know and I'll go into greater detail. :wink:

(To see it works, look at my avatar! )

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