How do I make area outside of an orb opaque please?

[Danudin]

I just got hooked on Wendy's Orb making instructions and don't think I will ever find a cure but could someone please tell a dumbo how to the area outside the orb opaque, so that I can include the orbs in other photos without the square surround blotting out the rest of the image. I know it will be something easy but"
"Folks are Dumb where I come From"

Ron

Sorry but I have selected the orb used Ctrl shift I to select the inverse, but when I go to save it as anything but a PSD file I get a white square around the orb, is it possible to save it as just the orb inJpeg please?

[Diana]

If the area around your orb is a solid color, you can use the Magic Wand tool to select it and then hit the Delete key. Note.... If your orb is the background layer, you must make it a regular layer first by double clicking on the background layer.

If the outer area is not a solid color, you could use the Elliptical Marquee tool to select it, then Select > Inverse and then press the Delete key. To make it easier to position a circular selection with the EM tool, drag a bit to start the selection, keep holding the mouse key down, then press the Spacebar (which turns the EM into the Hand tool) and drag the selection to position it at an edge of the orb, release the Spacebar and continue dragging the selection to fit the orb. This is probably as clear as mud, right? Easy to demonstrate, but hard to describe.

Diana

[Danudin]

Thanks Diana, I didn't explain well either but basically it was easy as Wendy suggested starting with a square photo to make the orb with, so the end result is a circle inside a square. I can get it to look good in a PSD file but saving to Jpeg leaves the outer border which I wish was invisible,
Here is an example from a Bee hovering around some lavender
Ron

PS I want the bee in a ball not a ball in a square, it would be so much more useable

[Bayla]

Use the Elliptical marquee tool set to fixed size and type in the dimensions of the square photo you started out with. Then click once on your orb and drag the circle so the edges are level with the sides of the square. Then Ctrl-J will put just the orb on its own layer, waiting for you to drag it onto a new background.

Bayla

[wlc]

Thanks Diana, I didn't explain well either but basically it was easy as Wendy suggested starting with a square photo to make the orb with, so the end result is a circle inside a square. I can get it to look good in a PSD file but saving to Jpeg leaves the outer border which I wish was invisible,
Here is an example from a Bee hovering around some lavender
Ron

PS I want the bee in a ball not a ball in a square, it would be so much more useable

Jpg does not support transparencies. After you get the psd file with a transparent background looking the way you want then you must save it as a gif or a png.

[Juergen D]

Ron,
This took one click and one key stroke. Note the settings of the Magic Wand (click on one of the corners). The one keystroke is Delete. Next you would de-select (CTRL-D) and save as discussed above or drag onto another image.

Juergen

[Danudin]

I must be thicker than even I thought I was,

WLC Said "Jpg does not support transparencies. After you get the psd file with a transparent background looking the way you want then you must save it as a gif or a png."

But Jurgen shows me a jpg with opaque borders do I need to use just psd files or can I save it as a jpg or must I use gif etc.

Thanks all for the help guess I just keep trying.
Ron

[Juergen D]

I was only showing the screen shot in form of a JPEG. The transparent image would look like this (a little rough around the edge, but that shows the fact that we have a transparency).

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/444/66580621rf4.gif (http://imageshack.us)

Juergen

[wlc]

I was only showing the screen shot in form of a JPEG. The transparent image would look like this (a little rough around the edge, but that shows the fact that we have a transparency).

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/444/66580621rf4.gif (http://imageshack.us)

Juergen

That is a gif not a jpg . . . :)

[Juergen D]

The first one was a Jpeg, which confused Ron somewhat. This second one is supposed to show the transparency and therefore is a Gif. And I meant it to be that... ;)

Juergen

[Bayla]

And can I also point out that Ron's original question is confusing....he asks how to make the area surrounding his orb opaque when I think he meant transparent (opaque is the opposite of transparent....)

Bayla

[Juergen D]

opaque is the opposite of transparent....

Only a minor detail... :D

Juergen

[wlc]

. . . and I meant it to be that... ;)

Juergen

Hehe! I thought you did . . . http://members.cox.net/gr2/my_bad.gif ;)

[Danudin]

Thanks guys now I have been set straight, tried to answer last night but had come home to a domestic dispute I didn't know was taking place until I got on line. seems to be my period for not being able to sort out what I should know. Of course I meant transparency so thank you for that, I didn't know that jpegs couldn't show transparency but now I know and will be able to safe the balls as Gifs and include them in an creation I want. Thank you all for your patience and clarification.