photoshop question...

[blowpipe]

Hi,
I,m new to this board and like to learn skinning the coming month if I,ve time.

Before I try skinning I have to solve another photoshop issue, so a little help is very appreciated.

I have a black square with a red dot in the middle and like to have only the red dot, which I like to use for a web-site .
I can select it with the eliptical marquee-tool (with shift for a circle), but what,s next? and how do I save this thing.

Thanks in advance.

[Serval]

If you want the image of te size of the dot, and the dot is square (or you do need some black around it), then you can select Image - Crop

In other cases You can do Copy.
Then start a new image (that will have the size of the copied selection automaticly) and paste the selection.

You only need to take care of the background colour.

Then Select File Save for Web and choose GIF (best in this case) or JPG (better for photo's and images with many colours)

[blowpipe]

thanks serval,

I,m a total noob but I know how to crop rectangular forms but this( Circular things) are difficult for me.
So can you be a bit more specific how to copy and past this already selected round shape?
When I select it with the eliptical marquee tool where to look for New Image?
And how totake care of the back ground color?

[Serval]

Images cannot be circular.

So, you have to paint some background behind it to fill the corners.

Make the copy of the selection (CTRL-C)
Now go to File - New and click OK on the window you get.

Select the colour you need for your background to have your image go nicely in the webpage.

Press CTRL-V (paste) and the red dot will be pasted over your background.

It is likely you will have some problems with the edges of the dot. But I cannot tell what is best to do.

If you post the image and a sample of the backgroundcolour your need, then I can help and show how I did it.

Make sure you read the selections and layers tutorials here, and also look in our Links section. We have a couple of links to tutorial sites that have tutorials for Photoshop. Often they show how web graphics are done, since that's the most common reason people start using this kind of software anyway.

[blowpipe]

Hello serval,

I,ve bought some photoshop books but they explain it somewhat sparse and didn,t explain it enough for noobs like me. They said that the eliptical marquee tool could do a circle and yes I,d tried it and voila a circle( with shift ) around the red dot (In reality a led ).
But I don,t come further with it.
I tried to upload the thing but I don,t know if it,s there?
So lets try it.

[Serval]

Well, since the magic wand does not work due to the shades in the image.
So I used the guides as aid (View - new guide).
I'm not sure whether you want the metal ring with it or not.

Add 4 guides 2 vertical and 2 horizontal.
If you want the red dot only then place them 25 px outside the border
So you do 4 times "New Guide"
First: Select Vertical and enter "25 px"
Second: Select Vertical and enter "127 px"
Third: Select Horizontal and enter "25 px"
Fourth: Select Horizontal and enter "127 px"

If you want the metal ring with it, then you should use the values 3 and 149 (3 px from the edges)

Now use those guides as an aid to make a nice fitting selection.

Do CTRL-C to copy it.

Now start a new image: File - New
Set background to transparent
Press CTRL-V to paste the selection in the new image.
Now select File - Save for web.
Since you want some transperancy, Choose GIF
Make sure Transparency is selected
Choose for Matte a colour that is close to your website backgroundcolour (but not a tone of red)
Select 256 colours, since to lose resolution when you select less.

As you see, I used a white matte. That causes the white border. This is because the pixels on the edge are anti aliased, to make the image look smooth. And that is exactly why it is so important to use the background colour of your website in the matte. Otherwise you'll have strange borders like this.

[blowpipe]

Hi Serval,

I filled in 3 px and 149px and there are 2 blue lines on my image (with metal ring) now at the edges .
After ctrl-c I don,t see the copy, set it at transparent,, ctrl -V to past the image ( see nothing) did the rest and I see a square with grey dots(grey will be my new background color) I feel so stupid now but where is it.
What I mean is ,I can,t see what I,m doing.

[blowpipe]

Hi Serval,

I filled in 3 px and 149px and there are 2 blue lines on my image (with metal ring) now at the edges .
After ctrl-c I don,t see the copy, set it at transparent,, ctrl -V to past the image ( see nothing) did the rest and I see a square with grey dots(grey will be my new background color) I feel so stupid now but where is it.
What I mean is ,I can,t see what I,m doing.

[Serval]

You must doe it 4 times 2 times for vertical and 2 times for horizontal
Then you have blue lines indeed. They are meant to help you to aim at the right positiopn to get aa good selection.
You still need to make the selection with the eliptic marquee tool.

[blowpipe]

Yes I did it 4 times and indeed 4 lines around the image.
Then use the eliptical marquee tool and make a circle?