how to make white background go away

[antiqueman]

Hey people! I am trying to create a label for a dvd. I have the logo in red and black over a white background. I want the white background to disappear so it will just show the red and black letters. I will need to take the photoshop elements file and transport it via CD (Jpg or Gif?)to a PC in a usable format for Neato Label maker software. thanks in advance.

[MikeH]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

This is very straightforward:

Select the Magic Wand tool (7th icon down in the toolbox or Press W)

Click with the wand on the white background.

Hit delete.

Mike

[antiqueman]

I did this taking directions from a previous forum member and I get a light gray where the white was.

[MikeH]

Do you mean a solid light grey or a checkerboard?

Is the light grey colour of the Background layer?

Mike

[antiqueman]

Hey Mike. Yeah, where the white background was it is now a light solid gray. I copied it to a CD in JPG format and tried to superimpose it over my DVD label background in a Neato program I'm using. In photoshop prior to saving my logo (red and black letters) has a moving dashed line around it kind of like a punch out look. But when I try to move it into Neato the white background is a light gray.

[MikeH]

So, after you deleted the white, you got light grey... Have you tried selecting the grey using the Magic Wand tool and then deleting that?

Mike

[antiqueman]

Yep, I tried that just now and same results. It just isn't taking the background away for some reason.

[Jodi Frye]

When you fiirst bring an image into Elements it is called a 'background' layer...have the layers palette open...double click on the 'background' layer...a pop up window will ask you to rename the layer...just click OK to the default....this now makes it an editable layer. Then, as Mike said, use magic wand to select the white>delete. Now you should see a 'transparent' checkerboard background. Save in a format that allows for transparency which would be GIF.

[antiqueman]

Jodi, I did exactly as you said, and I am still getting all the white background. when I double clicked on background in photoshop elements there is a lock to the right of that bar. It shows closed. Would that have anything to do with it? It allowed me to choose a layer name etc. so I don't guess that would be the problem? In addition, photoshop won't let me reopen the logo. Says something about can't handle the parse? Is there a way to test this within photoshop, as I am burning a new CD everytime I try this?

[Jodi Frye]

send me the image....

[Jodi Frye]

I'm soooo sorry,,,had to run out at a moments notice...I sent the file. All worked as suspected...double click the file to turn it into an editable layer ( default '0')>magic wand on white background>delete...I did a quick 'save for web'>GIF>transparency checked. Let me know if this works out...if there is a halo on the file let me know...

[Jodi Frye]

Actually i sent it again...the first did in fact have a halo...used the 'save as' GIF instead this time.

[imported_admin]

...or you could try saving it as a PNG...!

[Jodi Frye]

I was thinking that too...is png widely recognized ?

[Carbone]

PNG is recognized by most graphic applications and most modern browser. Even Pbase supports it.

Ray

[Mary]

I have also found that almost all the Scrapbook downloads are in PNG format - I have found it to be very workable to far.

(I had never used it before digital scrapbooking).

[Jodi Frye]

antiqueman just mailed me and said his DVD software wouldn't accept GIF so I went ahead and asked him to try saving in png instead...thanks for the reminder !