Photoshop making a certain colour transparent

Ch5Micky · 08-04-2005

HI Guys,

I am trying to sell a few items on e-bay and I have taken photos of those items with my digi-camera.

I took the pictures on a yellow background and was wonder if there was any way in Photoshop that I could change that yellow background to say white or even to a transparent background.

I am a bit of a noob at PS and still learning I would really appreciate some help with this. Thanks.

*theone1_* · 08-04-2005

Yes. Go to File > New and put the background as transparent, and the proportions as the same as the original image.

Using the "Rectangular Marquee Tool", select the whole original image, copy it, and paste it into the "new" image (blank one with a transparent background).

Use the magic wand, and select the yellow background. Make sure nothing but "Contiguous" is ticked. Adjust the "Tolerence" setting to however much needed, until most of the yellow is selected. Then, hit the delete button. If it doesn't show grey and white squares where the yellow was, then you have done something wrong or I haven't explained it good enough.

Go to File > Save As and select it as a "CompuServe GIF", or a "PNG". I'm sure the former preserves the transparency, but I'm not sure about the latter.

When doing the settings, set the colours to how you want

Ch5Micky · 09-04-2005

Thank you theone1_ for your reply, I shall do what you said and see how I go, if I have any problems I hope I can ask you where I went wrong, hopefully I will be able to do it without probs your instructions seem clear enough.

Thanks again.

*Da_Taxman* · 09-04-2005

You should also be able to select colors that need to become transparent. But you should only do this if you know for sure that the color you are making transparent is only present in the background, not in other parts of the pic.

You would have to change file mode to 'indexed color'. Then go to color table and you should be able to select colors you want to become transparent...

*theone1_* · 09-04-2005

Yeah, that's why I didn't say that way (in case other parts are that colour). Plus, doing it the way I said is more of a WYSIWYG way. You know what you're making transparent, and can be more accurate or not if needed.

stint · 09-04-2005

Thanks for the helpful tip. I was having problems with this other day. Problem now solved.

08-04-2005	#1
Ch5Micky CD Freaks Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: London, England (UK) Posts: 390	Photoshop making a certain colour transparent HI Guys, I am trying to sell a few items on e-bay and I have taken photos of those items with my digi-camera. I took the pictures on a yellow background and was wonder if there was any way in Photoshop that I could change that yellow background to say white or even to a transparent background. I am a bit of a noob at PS and still learning I would really appreciate some help with this. Thanks. __________________ Regards Ch5 Micky

08-04-2005	#2
theone1_ CDFreaks Resident Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 1,936	Re: Photoshop making a certain colour transparent Yes. Go to File > New and put the background as transparent, and the proportions as the same as the original image. Using the "Rectangular Marquee Tool", select the whole original image, copy it, and paste it into the "new" image (blank one with a transparent background). Use the magic wand, and select the yellow background. Make sure nothing but "Contiguous" is ticked. Adjust the "Tolerence" setting to however much needed, until most of the yellow is selected. Then, hit the delete button. If it doesn't show grey and white squares where the yellow was, then you have done something wrong or I haven't explained it good enough. Go to File > Save As and select it as a "CompuServe GIF", or a "PNG". I'm sure the former preserves the transparency, but I'm not sure about the latter. When doing the settings, set the colours to how you want __________________ Behold, bastard son! I am the evil one! [My Pictures] -- Lucifer Incestus --

09-04-2005	#3
Ch5Micky CD Freaks Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: London, England (UK) Posts: 390	Re: Photoshop making a certain colour transparent Thank you theone1_ for your reply, I shall do what you said and see how I go, if I have any problems I hope I can ask you where I went wrong, hopefully I will be able to do it without probs your instructions seem clear enough. Thanks again. __________________ Regards Ch5 Micky

09-04-2005	#4
Da_Taxman No longer with us Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: Denver, Colorado (USA) Posts: 15,360	Re: Photoshop making a certain colour transparent You should also be able to select colors that need to become transparent. But you should only do this if you know for sure that the color you are making transparent is only present in the background, not in other parts of the pic. You would have to change file mode to 'indexed color'. Then go to color table and you should be able to select colors you want to become transparent...

09-04-2005	#5
theone1_ CDFreaks Resident Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 1,936	Re: Photoshop making a certain colour transparent Yeah, that's why I didn't say that way (in case other parts are that colour). Plus, doing it the way I said is more of a WYSIWYG way. You know what you're making transparent, and can be more accurate or not if needed. __________________ Behold, bastard son! I am the evil one! [My Pictures] -- Lucifer Incestus --

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09-04-2005	#6
stint New on Forum Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 1	Re: Photoshop making a certain colour transparent Thanks for the helpful tip. I was having problems with this other day. Problem now solved.

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