Photoshop Help: Transparent Backgrounds
 

This has always been the biggest hurdle for me concerning Photoshop. I don't even know if I'm saying the right term, but I could use your help to improve on it.

I've been doing a decent job of cropping images and changing the height and width to create my avatars and sigs, but I've always wanted to take things further and create images that don't have any background to it (see Elixir's sigs for example).

So to jump on the EVA bandwagon that Qwarky has already beaten me to, I wanted to take the middle image from this page...

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j1...ke3090-091.jpg

And create a sig keeping the same angles. But unfortunately, this is the best I could come up with using my current skills.

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j1...Untitled-1.jpg

As you can see, I have a white background surrounding the top and bottom of the image. So I could use your help in creating images without any kind of background, which will allow me to become more creative with this and future signatures.

I'll have that for you right now.

There are two different format that would possibly support tranparent backgrounds, GIF and PNG, however, depending on the color and compression, both of those format can easily put your sig over the limit.

Here is one for PNG, which is about 170 kb
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...ncy_exampe.png
and this one is for .gif, 140 kb. Although I think its very possible to compress .gif much further then this.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...ncy_exampe.gif

Note: Certain browser does not support PNG alpha tranparency such as some version of Internet Esplorer

So basically saving the image as a .gif or .png will create a transparent background?

I appreciate fixing the image for me, but I also want to learn how to do it on my own. I want to try and replicate the way Elixir does his sigs.

Eh, they don't do it automatically, but some software you only need to delete the pixle where you don't want and expose the background, and as you save, the software will autmatically save it as a tranparent alpha if you happend to save in those formats (like paint dot net) . Althugh it is sometimes easier to make "fake" transparencies, like using color matching the forum's background color.

Yeah, I've seen that last method used around. I'd like details on how to do that as well. It's probably better to match the color of the forum (or anything else) as the background for my image.

And on the subject, I'd also like to know how Elixir can make random sigs appear whenever someone refreshes the page. I was going to PM him directly on how to do that, but if it's an easy method, do share. Appreciate the help as always.

I think that's done via a PHP script, where it refers a request for hot link to one of the image within a set directory.

Well, I'll ask him about the details for it later. Right now I should focus on transparency. I'll try messing around with paint.net, but I'd still like to know how to create a background to match this forum's color, if it's easier (and I imagine it is).

Byt the way magi, you used the wrong method. This is a .gif and a .png 8 version at maximum quality, without compression. One advice though, for black and white images, just use whichever that has a smaller size, since the color quality doesn't play a role here. Which in this case, is .png 8, while .png 24 is for images with transparency and high number of colors.

Also, for Lix's method, you'll probably need your own site to host those images.

Just get a photoshop Soldier. Everything is made simple there.

This is a trick almost everyone knows by now but, quote me. See what I mean?

Well, it is PaintDotNet.

<---- bum who still doesn't have photoshop.

I thought you used photoshop for that =o

If you got your hands on PS, you'll dominate TCC :tpg:

Got. I just don't know how to use all the tricks yet. My college campus has a Photoshop course, but I need about 2 or 3 pre-requisites to be able to sign up for it.

Guess I'm in the minority. Please explain to me how to do it.

Believe it or not, everything I know on photoshop is self-taught. There is no reason not to try if you haven't taken any course since everyone has to start somewhere. You could look up on some stuff at good-tutorials.com as well.

The hexcode for the GFF BG color is #14194E. Just type in that code in photoshop to get that color.

Thanks. Also Causabon gave me a good tutorial (with visuals, even), so I should be all set.

http://www.gamingforce.com/forums/pr...wpm&pmid=68355

I have tried to figure it out myself. I play around with Photoshop as best as I could, but it's pretty tricky to figure out every little nook and cranny on your own.