Creating an image with transparent background

[-AMO-]

Me and photoshop have never got on and now I need to find out how to make the background of an existing image in photoshop transparent. I've attempted some tuts I found via google and got nowhere. Could someone please advise me on how I can do this as its really starting to bug me.

Heres the best tut I found. I can't do one part of the tut, I've tried doing exactly as it says "Drag the new layer below the image's layer." it wont let me do this in my photoshop. :coffee:

http://www.mediacollege.com/graphics...ackground.html

Please help! Many thanks. :|

[whatnow]

delete the background layer (making sure it's blank) and then inset a new layer with no background colour, i.e. transparant.

failing that copy all the layers (or flatten) and start a new image making sure in the bacground colour is selected as transparant.

also ensure you savce it preserving the trancparancy.



if all fails post it here, i'll do it and then relay back how i did it.

[Shambles]

if all fails post it here, i'll do it and then relay back how i did it.

Ooh I'm interested too. Cheers, shangrula-bartfast

[slartibartfast]

Cheers, shangrula-bartfast

lol

As for not being able to "Drag the new layer below the image's layer", it sounds like your background layer is locked, see the little padlock in the picture below.



If you double click on the background layer you'll get the "New Layer" box pop up, just click ok and you should then be able to drag the upper layer under the lower.

[whatnow]

i dont think i'm anywhere near as good as slarti! in fact i know I am not! lol.

i'm always up for trying though

[-AMO-]

ok I got it sorted now, thanks for all the help. The reason I wasnt getting transparent bg is because I was saving it as bmp because I want to create a rounded form in visual basic. Saved it as gif and it works fine.

[Conkers]

try the extract filter as well... it's in filters -> extract

You draw round the edge of what you want to keep with a (default colour green) highlighter.... flood fill what you want to keep then click the preview button......

It may need a bit of touching up.. when you're happy with the result click the button and bobs you're mothers brother.

[-AMO-]

Thanks mate, will give that a try too, I wanted to do it so i could make program interfaces with rounded edges etc... heres a quick example i just did...

Many thanks all! :thumbs