Republican

Hi

I'm try to clean the edges on this image. Its going on a black background but I like the outer edge to be clean.


http://homepage.mac.com/straytoaster.../cashburst.gif

thanks

david

MsOz

Try doing a search for Removing backgrounds. Try your Eraser tool with a gray back ground. Try the Magic Wand Tool, try the Lasso Tool, try the Magnetic Lasso Tool. Try Quick Mask...try something, don't just wait to be spoonfed...

Welles

Hi David,

I'm going to describe a technique which works very well but I've never heard of other people doing it so it might be slightly original.

First I took your GIF and turned it into an RGB image (Image > Mode > RGB Color). First I doulble clicked the background layer in the layers palette to make it a floating layer which will support transparency. Then I used the magic wand tool set at 0 tolerance and contiguous to select the white and delete the white. Adding a new layer filled with black behind the cashburst image gave me image A. At this time there are two layers. Command (Control) click on the cash burst layer and you will load the selection of this layer. Then go to Select > Modify > Contract... and contract the selection by 3 pixels. You need to save this selection so go to the Channels palette and save the selection by clicking on the second button from the left at the bottom of the palette. A tool tip will say 'Save selection as channel.'

Now go back to your image by returning to the layers palette and making the layer active again. Command (Control) + D to deselect the contracted selection and then Command (Control) click on the layer again to load the original selection. This time Select > Modify > Expand... and expand the selection by two pixels. Leave this selection active and go back to the Channels palette. Click on the Alpha channel which you saved and your screen will turn black and white with your expanded selection still showing. Now hold down the Option (Alt) button and click on the left most button at the bottom of the Channels palette. It will load the saved alpha channel as a selection. By holding down the Option (Alt) key you are subtracting the saved, contracted selection from the active expanded selection, giving yourself a narrow band of 5 pixels all around the outside of the cashburst image. After going back to the layers palette and activating the RGB image again, you will see the ribbon of selection as in B.

Now all you need to do is use the Blur tool set to 100% and the blend mode Darken. Make the brush huge and go around the selection a couple of times. When you deselect, you will see the result I've posted here.

Good Luck!

Republican

Madster I did try bunch of stuff but wasnt satisfied. So I came here.

Welles Thank you that was just the technique I needed. i'll file it for later projects.


thanks again,
d

My method is simple, fast and probably easy to understand for beginners.

- Color mode RGB
- Select black as foreground color
- Select the Paint Bucket tool (opacity 100%, tolerance 201, Anti-Alias, Contiguous)
- Click on bottom and top half of white background
- Go quickly around the edges with the blur tool (normal, 100%), moving outwards.

Welles

GfX@rt

Your technique worked perfectly on that image and you're right, it is simpler!

Republican

GFX@rt,

I must be to dense. I cant get your method to work.

What layer are you working on and with the blur tool what is it im doing "moving outward" is that from the middle or something else?

sorry
d

Welles

David,

I think there was a typo in his directions which makes all the difference.

I'm pretty sure the tolerance should be 20 or so. If you do that the technique works just fine.

nitrobutler

Have you tried:
Layer>Matting>Defringe
then adjust ( the higher the res. of your image the larger you adjust to).

False. The value IS 201. No typo here.
If you test it, then you'll notice that a setting of 20 leaves too much white behind.
Also, with a setting of 201 you only need to select two areas; top & bottom
Don't forget; tolerance can be between 0-255

That doesn't produce good results

Background layer, since I never mentioned any layers

To smooth out the borders, to make a smooth transition to black and to remove 2 or 3 white pixels. Don't start in the middle; you would destroy important pixels!