Help - Very Basic GIF Stuff

[Miop]

Hi
Image techno-numpty speaking;
I have photoshop elements - I wish to take a jpg image of a widget on a white background, and make the background transparent.
I can't figure it out - even though ISTR I've done it before!
I can alter the opacity but the widget disappears.

Anyone got a quick guide to doing this?

Thank you!

[korkus2000]

I have never used elements. Do you have a magic wand and the ability to use layers with it?

[divaone]

use the magic wand tool on the white areas. use the lasso tool to fine tune your selection, removing as much white as possible. invert your selection, copy/cut and paste wherever you'd like.

after that i don't know :) PhotoImpact has a 'smart' eraser which allows you to erase specific sections of an active object, say to clean the rough edges of an object. see if elements has the same tool or something close.

hth

[edit_g]

You can use the magic wand tool to select the white area and then cut the area. Remember that if you actually want it to be transparent on your site you'll have to save it as a .gif (or .png or whatever).

[trillianjedi]

If you're trying to match the background to your websites background colour, the easier way is to create a new layer below the existing image layer, fill the new layer with your site background colour. Then select the image layer, choose "blending options" and set it to "multiply".

Much quicker, if that's what you're tring to achieve.

TJ