Can't copy/paste fromone image to another

[44Magpie]

I'm using Elements 4 and for some reason I can no longer copy part of one image into another. It was fine before but now all that happens when I select 'paste' is another layer named 'Layer 1' opens in the layer palette and nothing is copied to my receiving image.
Any ideas on what has gone wrong?

[Wendy]

Hi ..

Just check out the image you are copying from ... is there more than one layer in it?

If so then it may well just be copying a blank layer ... you may need to use Edit>Copy Merged. :)

Wendy

[44Magpie]

Thanks Wendy but the copy>merged is grayed out and I can't use it. Every time I try to paste into the image all it does is op-en another background layer in the palette bin.

[Rusty]

I'm not sure if I understand what you mean by "copy part of one image"

Is the part you want to copy on a layer all by itself? Or is it a "selected part" of the overall image?

This is probably a silly example, but here is one way to do it - there are several different methods. I used PSE5 but I think this works in 4 as well.

Suppose I want to move the baseball stadium into a horticultural park (told you it was silly)

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1WHMMVQv3YdrhgYh6NUKJzoqjHVnw1_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1WHMMVQv3YdrhgYh6NUKJzoqjHVnw1)

In this case I had a nice, flat sky so I used the Magic Wand to select the sky and then inversed the selection to get everything except the sky.

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/13Cu1l7uNBMn6jANPOp3CpfLW2c_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=13Cu1l7uNBMn6jANPOp3CpfLW2c)

I copied that selection and then moved over to my target image and pasted it. Then, working on the layer with the pasted image, deleted the parts I still didn't want and used the Move Tool to resize and place it where I wanted.

This is one way, there are others. If I'm not understanding your Q - keep asking, somebody here can help you figure it out.

Rusty

[44Magpie]

I understand the copy/paste thing and it has worked before for me but now when I select a portion of one image, select copy, then go to the other image and select paste, nothing happens except another layer opens in the layer palette. The part of the image I copied from the first picture will not show up as pasted to the second picture.

[Rusty]

It is not Select > Copy or Select > Paste
It is Edit > Copy and Edit > Paste.

Make your selection, when you are "satisfied" with it, and with the selection still active (you see the marching ants), then you do the Edit > Copy routine

Rusty

[cats4jan]

It's so strange to see photos in your posts that look familiar - like the sausage guy in your avatar and those photos of the domes. And then it dawns on me - you're that "Brookfield" guy. LOL

(Those are "our" domes, aren't they? Anyway, they remind me of Mithcell Park - but I don't remember them looking quite like that)