Cut/Remove selected area

My View wrote:

I have a shape within an image that I want to keep and remove the remainder of the image totally. The selected area to remove lies between the outer edge of the rectangular image and the odd shaped inner image (that I want to keep as the final odd-shaped image).

If I hit delete then the removed selection gets replaced by the background colour. I don’t want this. I want the removed selection (around the outside of the image) to be totally removed.

I thought I could have just made the selection and then hit crop but that only cropped a rectangular area and not all of the selected area.
How can this be done?

PeterH

www.pbase.com/pshardie

Hey another PeterH, can get confusing:)

An easy way to do this is Revert the selection, so the item you want to keep is selected.
Make a new document (transparent background, right size, same resolution) and just drag the selected item in there. —
Peter

Duplicate the background layer before you select and delete. Then delete / black out the original background layer.

"My View" <reply to > wrote in message

I have a shape within an image that I want to keep and remove the remainder of the image totally. The selected area to remove lies between the outer edge of the rectangular image and the odd shaped inner image (that I want to keep as the final odd-shaped image).

If I hit delete then the removed selection gets replaced by the background colour. I don’t want this. I want the removed selection (around the outside of the image) to be totally removed.

I thought I could have just made the selection and then hit crop but that only cropped a rectangular area and not all of the selected area.
How can this be done?

PeterH

www.pbase.com/pshardie

PH wrote:

My View wrote:

I have a shape within an image that I want to keep and remove the remainder of the image totally. The selected area to remove lies between the outer edge of the rectangular image and the odd shaped inner image (that I want to keep as the final odd-shaped image).

If I hit delete then the removed selection gets replaced by the background colour. I don’t want this. I want the removed selection (around the outside of the image) to be totally removed.

I thought I could have just made the selection and then hit crop but that only cropped a rectangular area and not all of the selected area.
How can this be done?

PeterH

www.pbase.com/pshardie

Hey another PeterH, can get confusing:)

An easy way to do this is Revert the selection, so the item you want to keep is selected.
Make a new document (transparent background, right size, same resolution) and just drag the selected item in there.

I think you meant INVERSE the selection. Ctrl Shift- I.

For the original poster: You also want to not be on a Background, so turn it into a layer by Alt-double-clicking on it in the Layers palette. You’d be better off making a Layer Mask rather than deleting.

And when you get a chance, look through the manual or Help files. This is basic stuff.

—
Comic book sketches and artwork:
http://www.sover.net/~hannigan/edjh.html
Comics art for sale:
http://www.sover.net/~hannigan/batsale.html

In news:FKc1e.12854$,
My View typed…

I have a shape within an image that I want to keep and remove the remainder of the image totally. The selected area to remove lies between the outer edge of the rectangular image and the odd shaped inner image (that I want to keep as the final odd-shaped image).
If I hit delete then the removed selection gets replaced by the background colour. I don’t want this. I want the removed selection (around the outside of the image) to be totally removed.
I thought I could have just made the selection and then hit crop but that only cropped a rectangular area and not all of the selected area.
How can this be done?

PeterH

www.pbase.com/pshardie

If I understand you correctly, the "odd" shape, the one you wish to keep, is not rectangular. As far as I am aware, this cannot be done.

—
Bri.

In article <FKc1e.12854$>,
"My View" <reply to > wrote:

I thought I could have just made the selection and then hit crop but that only cropped a rectangular area and not all of the selected area.
How can this be done?

It can’t. All raster (pixel-based) images are always rectangular, by definition, with no exceptions. There is no such thing as an odd-shaped raster graphic.

However, you can make part of a picture *transparent*, which creates the illusion that it is oddly shaped.

The way you do this depends on what you plan to use the image for; if you plan to print the image, you use a very different technique than if you plan to put the image on the Web. What are you trying to do?

—
Art, photography, shareware, polyamory, literature, kink: all at http://www.xeromag.com/franklin.html

Thanks for your reply. I will have a go at some of the posted suggestions.

Yes, I would have thought this to be fairly basic stuff as well, ( I use a number of other software packages where it is usually very obvious what to do) but a lot of basic things are well hidden within PS particularly name-wise.

The few times I have used PS Help have been to no avail. I find PS Help to be one of the most user-unfriendly Help systems around hence it’s normally quicker to get a reply on the net or through a newsgroup and as we all know there are normally many ways to do the same thing in PS.

I was getting very frustrated that I couldn’t easy find a way to do such a basic action.

regards

PeterH

"edjh" wrote in message

PH wrote:

My View wrote:

I have a shape within an image that I want to keep and remove the remainder
of the image totally. The selected area to remove lies between the outer edge of the rectangular image and the odd shaped inner image (that I want to
keep as the final odd-shaped image).

If I hit delete then the removed selection gets replaced by the background
colour. I don’t want this. I want the removed selection (around the outside
of the image) to be totally removed.

I thought I could have just made the selection and then hit crop but that only cropped a rectangular area and not all of the selected area.
How can this be done?

PeterH

www.pbase.com/pshardie

Hey another PeterH, can get confusing:)

An easy way to do this is Revert the selection, so the item you want to keep is selected.
Make a new document (transparent background, right size, same resolution) and just drag the selected item in there.

I think you meant INVERSE the selection. Ctrl Shift- I.

For the original poster: You also want to not be on a Background, so turn it into a layer by Alt-double-clicking on it in the Layers palette. You’d be better off making a Layer Mask rather than deleting.

And when you get a chance, look through the manual or Help files. This is basic stuff.

—
Comic book sketches and artwork:
http://www.sover.net/~hannigan/edjh.html
Comics art for sale:
http://www.sover.net/~hannigan/batsale.html

Hi
The intention is to do both.

"Tacit" wrote in message

In article <FKc1e.12854$>,
"My View" <reply to > wrote:

I thought I could have just made the selection and then hit crop but that only cropped a rectangular area and not all of the selected area.
How can this be done?

It can’t. All raster (pixel-based) images are always rectangular, by definition, with no exceptions. There is no such thing as an odd-shaped raster graphic.

However, you can make part of a picture *transparent*, which creates the illusion that it is oddly shaped.

The way you do this depends on what you plan to use the image for; if you plan to print the image, you use a very different technique than if you plan to put the image on the Web. What are you trying to do?
—
Art, photography, shareware, polyamory, literature, kink: all at http://www.xeromag.com/franklin.html

Thansk for your reply.

That will still leave me with an image the same size as the original.

I want to get rid of the outer shape of the original image and end up with an odd shaped image.
Just like as if I have a printed paper image and cut-out the inner shape so that is all I am left with.

"Interested" wrote in message

Duplicate the background layer before you select and delete. Then delete / black out the original background layer.

"My View" <reply to > wrote in message

I have a shape within an image that I want to keep and remove the remainder of the image totally. The selected area to remove lies between the outer edge of the rectangular image and the odd shaped inner image (that I want to keep as the final odd-shaped image).

If I hit delete then the removed selection gets replaced by the background colour. I don’t want this. I want the removed selection (around the outside of the image) to be totally removed.
I thought I could have just made the selection and then hit crop but that only cropped a rectangular area and not all of the selected area.
How can this be done?

PeterH

www.pbase.com/pshardie

That is the impression I get too. But I will try a couple of the suggestions in this post before giving up totally.

"Bri." wrote in message

In news:FKc1e.12854$,
My View typed…

I have a shape within an image that I want to keep and remove the remainder of the image totally. The selected area to remove lies between the outer edge of the rectangular image and the odd shaped inner image (that I want to keep as the final odd-shaped image).
If I hit delete then the removed selection gets replaced by the background colour. I don’t want this. I want the removed selection (around the outside of the image) to be totally removed.
I thought I could have just made the selection and then hit crop but that only cropped a rectangular area and not all of the selected area.
How can this be done?

PeterH

www.pbase.com/pshardie

If I understand you correctly, the "odd" shape, the one you wish to keep, is not rectangular. As far as I am aware, this cannot be done.
—
Bri.

edjh wrote:

PH wrote:

My View wrote:

I have a shape within an image that I want to keep and remove the remainder of the image totally. The selected area to remove lies between the outer edge of the rectangular image and the odd shaped inner image (that I want to keep as the final odd-shaped image).

If I hit delete then the removed selection gets replaced by the background colour. I don’t want this. I want the removed selection (around the outside of the image) to be totally removed.

I thought I could have just made the selection and then hit crop but that only cropped a rectangular area and not all of the selected area.
How can this be done?

PeterH

www.pbase.com/pshardie

Hey another PeterH, can get confusing:)

An easy way to do this is Revert the selection, so the item you want to keep is selected.
Make a new document (transparent background, right size, same resolution) and just drag the selected item in there.

I think you meant INVERSE the selection. Ctrl Shift- I.

Sorry, you are right: Inverse , not Reverse.
Language thingy.

—
Peter

My View wrote:

That is the impression I get too. But I will try a couple of the suggestions in this post before giving up totally.

You should be more informative on this one. I get confused by the answers and your responses.

I took your question like this:

1. You have a picture of a Grateful Dead bear on a table, in front of a wall
2. You want just the bear
3. You selected everything except for the bear
4. You want the bear on a transparent background

And you want it for print and for web. Please tell us if that is the question. Then I am sure you will notice that there is more to it, but that Photoshop is the way to do it. And it is really not that hard. Just needs a bit more than hitting one key. And different approaches for web versus print. —
Peter

Sounds about right but I will try to explain this way.

1. I have a blue odd-shaped object surrounded by green
2. I want to only end up with the blue object and nothing surrounding it just as if I had a pair of scissors and cut the unwanted green from around the blue object.
3. I am left with an image with irregular edges in the shape of the blue. I don’t want a rectangular image with just the green removed.

"PH" wrote in message

My View wrote:

That is the impression I get too. But I will try a couple of the suggestions
in this post before giving up totally.

You should be more informative on this one. I get confused by the answers and your responses.

I took your question like this:

1. You have a picture of a Grateful Dead bear on a table, in front of a wall
2. You want just the bear
3. You selected everything except for the bear
4. You want the bear on a transparent background

And you want it for print and for web. Please tell us if that is the question. Then I am sure you will notice that there is more to it, but that Photoshop is the way to do it. And it is really not that hard. Just needs a bit more than hitting one key. And different approaches for web versus print. —
Peter

This is relatively simple –

Select what you want to keep. Do a ctrl J to copy it (the selection) to a new layer. Double click on the first layer to make it a non background layer. Drag the old background layer to the trash!

Voila, you have your bear!

Dennis

"My View" <reply to > wrote in message
I have a shape within an image that I want to keep and remove the remainder of the image totally. The selected area to remove lies between the outer edge of the rectangular image and the odd shaped inner image (that I want to keep as the final odd-shaped image).

If I hit delete then the removed selection gets replaced by the background colour. I don’t want this. I want the removed selection (around the outside of the image) to be totally removed.

I thought I could have just made the selection and then hit crop but that only cropped a rectangular area and not all of the selected area.

How can this be done?

PeterH

www.pbase.com/pshardie

Thanks Dennis – I was just thinking along the similar lines.

Would the age-old copy/paste also work?

"Dennis Hughes" wrote in message

This is relatively simple –

Select what you want to keep. Do a ctrl J to copy it (the selection) to a new layer. Double click on the first layer to make it a non background layer. Drag the old background layer to the trash!

Voila, you have your bear!

Dennis

"My View" <reply to > wrote in message
I have a shape within an image that I want to keep and remove the remainder
of the image totally. The selected area to remove lies between the outer edge of the rectangular image and the odd shaped inner image (that I want to
keep as the final odd-shaped image).

If I hit delete then the removed selection gets replaced by the background colour. I don’t want this. I want the removed selection (around the outside
of the image) to be totally removed.

I thought I could have just made the selection and then hit crop but that only cropped a rectangular area and not all of the selected area.
How can this be done?

PeterH

www.pbase.com/pshardie

My View wrote:

Thanks Dennis – I was just thinking along the similar lines.
Would the age-old copy/paste also work?

"Dennis Hughes" wrote in message

This is relatively simple –

Select what you want to keep. Do a ctrl J to copy it (the selection) to a new layer. Double click on the first layer to make it a non background layer. Drag the old background layer to the trash!

Voila, you have your bear!

Dennis

"My View" <reply to > wrote in message
I have a shape within an image that I want to keep and remove the remainder
of the image totally. The selected area to remove lies between the outer edge of the rectangular image and the odd shaped inner image (that I want to
keep as the final odd-shaped image).

If I hit delete then the removed selection gets replaced by the background colour. I don’t want this. I want the removed selection (around the outside
of the image) to be totally removed.

I thought I could have just made the selection and then hit crop but that only cropped a rectangular area and not all of the selected area.
How can this be done?

PeterH

www.pbase.com/pshardie

Read all the replies. Masking is the better way to go. You cut or delete something then change your mind or want to tweak later–too bad. With a mask you have total editability.

—
Comic book sketches and artwork:
http://www.sover.net/~hannigan/edjh.html
Comics art for sale:
http://www.sover.net/~hannigan/batsale.html

Good point – will have a go at masking

"edjh" wrote in message

My View wrote:

Thanks Dennis – I was just thinking along the similar lines.
Would the age-old copy/paste also work?

"Dennis Hughes" wrote in message

This is relatively simple –

Select what you want to keep. Do a ctrl J to copy it (the selection) to a
new layer. Double click on the first layer to make it a non background layer. Drag the old background layer to the trash!

Voila, you have your bear!

Dennis

"My View" <reply to > wrote in message
I have a shape within an image that I want to keep and remove the remainder
of the image totally. The selected area to remove lies between the outer edge of the rectangular image and the odd shaped inner image (that I want to
keep as the final odd-shaped image).

If I hit delete then the removed selection gets replaced by the background
colour. I don’t want this. I want the removed selection (around the outside
of the image) to be totally removed.

I thought I could have just made the selection and then hit crop but that only cropped a rectangular area and not all of the selected area.
How can this be done?

PeterH

www.pbase.com/pshardie

Read all the replies. Masking is the better way to go. You cut or delete something then change your mind or want to tweak later–too bad. With a mask you have total editability.

—
Comic book sketches and artwork:
http://www.sover.net/~hannigan/edjh.html
Comics art for sale:
http://www.sover.net/~hannigan/batsale.html

In article <6Uk1e.13059$>,
"My View" <reply to > wrote:

Hi
The intention is to do both.

To make a transparent image for the Web, you do this:

– Put the image on a layer. You can do this by opening the image and double-clicking the word "Background" in the Layers palette. – Select the part of the image you wish to preserve.
– Select->Save Selection as layer mask.
– File->Save for Web, save the image as a GIF with transparency turned on. You can not save the image as a JPEG; the JPEG file format specification does not permit transparency.

To make an image for printing on a consumer inkjet printer:

– Don’t make the image transparent. Just fill the area around the part you wish to keep with white.

To make an image transparent for professional printing on a printing press, or for placement in a page-layout program:

– Use the Pen tool to put a path around the part of hte image you want to keep.
– Double-click the path in the Paths palette and give it a name. – From the Paths palette flyout menu, choose the Clipping Path command. In the dialog, choose the path you just named.
– Save the image as a Photoshop EPS file.

—
Art, photography, shareware, polyamory, literature, kink: all at http://www.xeromag.com/franklin.html

Tacit wrote:

To make an image for printing on a consumer inkjet printer:
– Don’t make the image transparent. Just fill the area around the part you wish to keep with white.

To make an image transparent for professional printing on a printing press, or for placement in a page-layout program:

– Use the Pen tool to put a path around the part of hte image you want to keep.
– Double-click the path in the Paths palette and give it a name. – From the Paths palette flyout menu, choose the Clipping Path command. In the dialog, choose the path you just named.
– Save the image as a Photoshop EPS file.

All fine, but I would do the latter also for
inkjet/laserprint, unless there will be no background but just plain white paper of course.

—
Peter

In article
wrote:

All fine, but I would do the latter also for
inkjet/laserprint, unless there will be no background but just plain white paper of course.

The problem with using a clipping path for an image intended for consumer inkjet printers is that almost all consumer inkjet printers are not PostScript printers. A clipping path is a PostScript object, which means the final layout must be turned into a PDF or run through a software PostScript RIP before it can be printed.

For any image destined for a PostScript device, a clipping path is definitely the way to go.

—
Art, photography, shareware, polyamory, literature, kink: all at http://www.xeromag.com/franklin.html

Thanks Tacit – great suggestions. I can see the white background will do the trick nicely.

"Tacit" wrote in message

In article <6Uk1e.13059$>,
"My View" <reply to > wrote:

Hi
The intention is to do both.

To make a transparent image for the Web, you do this:

– Put the image on a layer. You can do this by opening the image and double-clicking the word "Background" in the Layers palette. – Select the part of the image you wish to preserve.
– Select->Save Selection as layer mask.
– File->Save for Web, save the image as a GIF with transparency turned on. You can not save the image as a JPEG; the JPEG file format specification does not permit transparency.

To make an image for printing on a consumer inkjet printer:
– Don’t make the image transparent. Just fill the area around the part you wish to keep with white.

To make an image transparent for professional printing on a printing press, or for placement in a page-layout program:

– Use the Pen tool to put a path around the part of hte image you want to keep.
– Double-click the path in the Paths palette and give it a name. – From the Paths palette flyout menu, choose the Clipping Path command. In the dialog, choose the path you just named.
– Save the image as a Photoshop EPS file.

—
Art, photography, shareware, polyamory, literature, kink: all at http://www.xeromag.com/franklin.html

Thanks Tacit – great suggestions. I can see the white background will do the trick nicely.

"Tacit" wrote in message

In article <6Uk1e.13059$>,
"My View" <reply to > wrote:

Hi
The intention is to do both.

To make a transparent image for the Web, you do this:

– Put the image on a layer. You can do this by opening the image and double-clicking the word "Background" in the Layers palette. – Select the part of the image you wish to preserve.
– Select->Save Selection as layer mask.
– File->Save for Web, save the image as a GIF with transparency turned on. You can not save the image as a JPEG; the JPEG file format specification does not permit transparency.

To make an image for printing on a consumer inkjet printer:
– Don’t make the image transparent. Just fill the area around the part you wish to keep with white.

To make an image transparent for professional printing on a printing press, or for placement in a page-layout program:

– Use the Pen tool to put a path around the part of hte image you want to keep.
– Double-click the path in the Paths palette and give it a name. – From the Paths palette flyout menu, choose the Clipping Path command. In the dialog, choose the path you just named.
– Save the image as a Photoshop EPS file.

—
Art, photography, shareware, polyamory, literature, kink: all at http://www.xeromag.com/franklin.html