"Export Transparent Image" in PS CS4 - How to do it??

Seanie M

Having upgraded from CS2 to CS4 recently, I have noticed that there is no easy-to-find "Export Transparent Image" under the 'Help' tab in Photoshop CS4 like there was in CS2. Doing a search of its own Help directory leads to nothing conclusive, and I can't find how it's done from online sources (including Adobe's own site).

Does anyone know how to simply remove the background from an image (if not using the Wand tool, then by whatever means are available)?

Thanks in advance,

Seanie.

Liam Byrne

Hide the "background" layers and click File - Save for Web ?

Seanie M

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Hide the "background" layers and click File - Save for Web ?

No, not that way. I'm dealing with a single layer inage. Take for example you have a product that i on a white background, but you want to remove the white layer. You use the wand tool to select that. But upon doing so, you just can't delete that white and transport a background-ess image (.gif or .png) - that's what's missing in CS4.

Seanie.

samhail

create a new image with background contents set to transparent
then -file-save as- and select a GIF as the output type.

if you import the file into PS as a jpg then i assume you will need to save it as a GIF first, or change from background to layer (right click on the layer in the layer settings) then edit it.

Liam Byrne

1) Make sure the image is RGB
2) Select Layer + New + Layer from Background
3) Use the wand to delete, as you described above
4) Save for Web

Trow

In CS2 I used the Export Transparent Image function in the Help menu to create jpegs with transparent backgrounds to be placed in InDesign for print. In PS CS4, how can I get jpegs with transparent background? I need it at print quality.

Thanks!

Liam Byrne

Trow wrote: »

In CS2 I used the Export Transparent Image function in the Help menu to create jpegs with transparent backgrounds to be placed in InDesign for print. In PS CS4, how can I get jpegs with transparent background? I need it at print quality.

Thanks!

I don't know what you were actually doing, Trow (maybe converting to a different format, or exporting with a matching background (faked transparency)........JPEGS do not support transparency.

http://www.faqs.org/faqs/jpeg-faq/part1/section-12.html
http://graphicssoft.about.com/b/2006/08/21/qa-transparent-jpeg.htm
http://graphicssoft.about.com/cs/faq/a/transparency.htm

snooksy

Hi, I had the same problem when upgrading from CS2 to CS4. I used the export transparent image function on the help menu. The solution which I have found and is actually a little easier is:

Open the jpeg which you want to make transparent then go file>new and create a new untitled document but with a transparent background.

Then go back to your original jpeg and using the move tool drag the image up to the the new untitled tab at the top, which will open it and then place the jpeg over the new untitled tranparent background.

Then simply select the area to be made transparent with the magic wand and go edit>cut and the area that you selected will become transparent. then close the original jpeg and save the new one with the name of the old one and as a jpeg. And now you have your image on a transparent background.

I am sure that there are easier ways to do this but I am a photoshop novice and I found that this works for me.

Dades

snooksy wrote: »

Then simply select the area to be made transparent with the magic wand and go edit>cut and the area that you selected will become transparent. then close the original jpeg and save the new one with the name of the old one and as a jpeg. And now you have your image on a transparent background.

If you save that as a jpeg the transparent part of the image will default to white.

snooksy

You are right it does. Dam it I thought I had found a solution. In PS CS2 you could click on help>export transparent image and you were left with a Jpeg with a transparent background that could be used in quark express or other programmes. Now that option is missing in CS4 there must be another way of doing it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

louisevp

It is pretty rubbish that there is no option to 'export transparent image' in the help menu in CS4; i used to use it all the time.
If you wanted the image to have no background in programmes like quark xpress and the like, you can give the image a clipping path; although it's a bit long-winded.
First create another layer behind the background layer (to do this you need to double click on the background layer and call it layer 0). Then select the area you want to remove (e.g. with magic wand) and delete it. Then click on the deleted area(s) with magic wand (press shift & click to select more than one area). Press shift+apple+i to select the area you want to keep; the wibbly lines should be around this area. Go to 'paths', then 'make work path'. Save this path and then click on 'clipping path'. Call this path something memorable and then flatten the image. When you import the image into a quark document it should appear like a 'transparent' image; if it doesn't, click apple+m and then choose the 'clipping' menu. Then select 'embedded path'.
I hope this is good enough.