select/modify - only the 'borders' command is available

Sorry if this message arrives twice. Posted it around 3 hours ago and it still hasn't appeared.

Hi,

Version 8

I was working my way through a tutorial and got as far as ..

http://www.lunacore.com/photoshop/tutorials/tut024_4.htm

but when I go to select/modify the only thing I have that isn't grayed out is 'borders' and I want 'contract'.

Maybe I need to start again or maybe I just need to change a setting ?

I'm a newbie so any help you give probably needs to be dumbed down :)

thanks,

Michael

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"Michael Redbourn" wrote in message

Sorry if this message arrives twice. Posted it around 3 hours ago and it still hasn't appeared.

Hi,

Version 8

I was working my way through a tutorial and got as far as ..
http://www.lunacore.com/photoshop/tutorials/tut024_4.htm
but when I go to select/modify the only thing I have that isn't grayed out is 'borders' and I want 'contract'.

Maybe I need to start again or maybe I just need to change a setting ?
I'm a newbie so any help you give probably needs to be dumbed down :)
thanks,

Michael, Michael, Michael, ;)

Taking a wild stab in the dark, I would say that you have the wrong layer active when you perform your ctrl+click. What you see is what you get when the selection (Ctrl+click on the thumbnail) selects the whole, filled layer. The tutorial asks you to make the "basic shape" layer active before ctrl+clicking. This layer consists of a small rectangle set in the middle of an empty layer, ctrl clicking on this layer thumbnail would load the selection of the central rectangle. If you then went to Select>Modify, you will all three options are available.

HTH
Mike H

"Mike Hyndman" wrote in message

"Michael Redbourn" wrote in message

Sorry if this message arrives twice. Posted it around 3 hours ago and it still hasn't appeared.

Hi,

Version 8

I was working my way through a tutorial and got as far as ..
http://www.lunacore.com/photoshop/tutorials/tut024_4.htm
but when I go to select/modify the only thing I have that isn't grayed out is 'borders' and I want 'contract'.

Maybe I need to start again or maybe I just need to change a setting ?
I'm a newbie so any help you give probably needs to be dumbed down :)
thanks,

Michael,

When I replied, I had only looked at the screen shots of the tutorial, which shows the "basic shape" layer to be a rectangle surrounded by transparent pixels. Sadly, the tut seems to miss out the step necessary to achieve this, which is why you seem to be having trouble completing the tutorial. When you have created your basic shape, you will have a pinkish recangle on a white backgound. This white background needs to be deleted, just leaving the rectangle, (the source for the selection in step 4),you could do this in a number of ways,
1) Whilst the selection marquee is active, go to select>inverse then hit delete, or
2) Ctrl+D to deselect the marquee, then with the magic wand tool click on the white background to select it, then again, hit delete.

HTH
Mike H

"Mike Hyndman" wrote in message

"Mike Hyndman" wrote in message

"Michael Redbourn" wrote in message

Sorry if this message arrives twice. Posted it around 3 hours ago and it still hasn't appeared.

Hi,

Version 8

I was working my way through a tutorial and got as far as ..
http://www.lunacore.com/photoshop/tutorials/tut024_4.htm
but when I go to select/modify the only thing I have that isn't grayed out is 'borders' and I want 'contract'.

Maybe I need to start again or maybe I just need to change a setting ?
I'm a newbie so any help you give probably needs to be dumbed down :)
thanks,

Michael,

When I replied, I had only looked at the screen shots of the tutorial, which shows the "basic shape" layer to be a rectangle surrounded by transparent pixels. Sadly, the tut seems to miss out the step necessary to achieve this, which is why you seem to be having trouble completing the tutorial. When you have created your basic shape, you will have a pinkish recangle on a white backgound. This white background needs to be deleted, just leaving the rectangle, (the source for the selection in step 4),you could do this in a number of ways,
1) Whilst the selection marquee is active, go to select>inverse then hit delete, or
2) Ctrl+D to deselect the marquee, then with the magic wand tool click on the white background to select it, then again, hit delete.

IGNORE THE ABOVE

The rectangle was created on an empty layer (You've got me at it now!)

MH

On Sat, 23 Sep 2006 14:08:24 +0100, "Mike Hyndman" wrote:

"Michael Redbourn" wrote in message

Sorry if this message arrives twice. Posted it around 3 hours ago and it still hasn't appeared.

Hi,

Version 8

I was working my way through a tutorial and got as far as ..
http://www.lunacore.com/photoshop/tutorials/tut024_4.htm
but when I go to select/modify the only thing I have that isn't grayed out is 'borders' and I want 'contract'.

Maybe I need to start again or maybe I just need to change a setting ?
I'm a newbie so any help you give probably needs to be dumbed down :)
thanks,

Michael, Michael, Michael, ;)

Taking a wild stab in the dark, I would say that you have the wrong layer active when you perform your ctrl+click. What you see is what you get when the selection (Ctrl+click on the thumbnail) selects the whole, filled layer. The tutorial asks you to make the "basic shape" layer active before ctrl+clicking. This layer consists of a small rectangle set in the middle of an empty layer, ctrl clicking on this layer thumbnail would load the selection of the central rectangle. If you then went to Select>Modify, you will all three options are available.

HTH
Mike H

This forum disappeared for 3 days ?

Anyway - I have tried opening new documents and opening images but am only ever offered 'border' when I go to select>modify.

Perhaps you can tell me some simple steps (anything) that will make the 3 grayed out selections available. Not from this tutorial but just
a) open an image b) x c) y d) go to select>modify> contract. Then I
will at least know that it's not corrupted or something on my PC ..

btw - vis a vis your comment about 'enjoying' what we're doing. We'll that's exactly what I'm doing with photoshop. At some later date I may want to use what I've learned but at the moment I'm just having fun. I don't play computer games simply because they don't suit my make up but Photshop suits me because it's challenging at what is learned can be put to practical use. Like making $100 bills that work in ATM machines :-) Just kidding.

thanks for being there (one of my favorite films with Peter Sellars)

Michael

P.S. I got this when trying to post just now ..

Error: Error reported by Serv: 400 titi.nntpservercom : Server too busy -please try lat- nntp@ nntpserver.com .

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"Michael Redbourn" wrote in message

On Sat, 23 Sep 2006 14:08:24 +0100, "Mike Hyndman" wrote:

"Michael Redbourn" wrote in message

Sorry if this message arrives twice. Posted it around 3 hours ago and it still hasn't appeared.

Hi,

Version 8

I was working my way through a tutorial and got as far as ..
http://www.lunacore.com/photoshop/tutorials/tut024_4.htm
but when I go to select/modify the only thing I have that isn't grayed out is 'borders' and I want 'contract'.

Maybe I need to start again or maybe I just need to change a setting ?
I'm a newbie so any help you give probably needs to be dumbed down :)
thanks,

Michael, Michael, Michael, ;)

Taking a wild stab in the dark, I would say that you have the wrong layer active when you perform your ctrl+click. What you see is what you get when the selection (Ctrl+click on the thumbnail) selects the whole, filled layer.
The tutorial asks you to make the "basic shape" layer active before ctrl+clicking. This layer consists of a small rectangle set in the middle of
an empty layer, ctrl clicking on this layer thumbnail would load the selection of the central rectangle. If you then went to Select>Modify, you will all three options are available.

HTH
Mike H

This forum disappeared for 3 days ?

Anyway - I have tried opening new documents and opening images but am only ever offered 'border' when I go to select>modify.
Perhaps you can tell me some simple steps (anything) that will make the 3 grayed out selections available. Not from this tutorial but just
a) open an image b) x c) y d) go to select>modify> contract. Then I
will at least know that it's not corrupted or something on my PC ..

Michael,

Select>Modify needs a selection to modify before it becomes available. If the whole layer is selected, you will only get the border option in Select>Modify.(can understand why expand is off the menu but never understood why you can't contract it either; smooth is for cleaning up stray pixels )
Try this, open any image and draw a selection on it with the marquee tool, ( in effect, make a partial selection of the layer) then Select>Modify will display all four options. The layer in your example was an empty layer with a filled rectangle stuck in the middle of it, so Select>Modify>contract should have been available.

btw - vis a vis your comment about 'enjoying' what we're doing. We'll that's exactly what I'm doing with photoshop. At some later date I may want to use what I've learned but at the moment I'm just having fun. I don't play computer games simply because they don't suit my make up but Photshop suits me because it's challenging at what is learned can be put to practical use. Like making $100 bills that work in ATM machines :-) Just kidding.

Make me some ;)

thanks for being there (one of my favorite films with Peter Sellars)

Community service, beats breaking rocks ;)

P.S. I got this when trying to post just now ..

Error: Error reported by Serv: 400 titi.nntpservercom : Server too busy -please try lat- nntp@ nntpserver.com .

Micky Mouse outfit as we say over here. Is it a cheap service? Could be why it's busy and you can't get on, look up "contention".

Regards,

Mike H

On Mon, 25 Sep 2006 12:47:35 +0300, Michael Redbourn
wrote:

On Sat, 23 Sep 2006 14:08:24 +0100, "Mike Hyndman" wrote:

"Michael Redbourn" wrote in message

Sorry if this message arrives twice. Posted it around 3 hours ago and it still hasn't appeared.

Hi,

Version 8

I was working my way through a tutorial and got as far as ..
http://www.lunacore.com/photoshop/tutorials/tut024_4.htm
but when I go to select/modify the only thing I have that isn't grayed out is 'borders' and I want 'contract'.

Maybe I need to start again or maybe I just need to change a setting ?
I'm a newbie so any help you give probably needs to be dumbed down :)
thanks,

Michael, Michael, Michael, ;)

Taking a wild stab in the dark, I would say that you have the wrong layer active when you perform your ctrl+click. What you see is what you get when the selection (Ctrl+click on the thumbnail) selects the whole, filled layer. The tutorial asks you to make the "basic shape" layer active before ctrl+clicking. This layer consists of a small rectangle set in the middle of an empty layer, ctrl clicking on this layer thumbnail would load the selection of the central rectangle. If you then went to Select>Modify, you will all three options are available.

HTH
Mike H

Hi MIke,

This forum disappeared for 3 days ?

Anyway - I have tried opening new documents and opening images but am only ever offered 'border' when I go to selectmodify.

Perhaps you can tell me some simple steps (anything) that will make the 3 grayed out selections available. Not from this tutorial but just
a) open an image b) x c) y d) go to selectmodify contract. Then I
will at least know that it's not corrupted or something on my PC .. no likely but it seems strange that I've never seen the option.

btw - vis a vis your comment about 'enjoying' what we're doing. We'll that's exactly what I'm doing with photoshop. At some later date I may want to use what I've learned but at the moment I'm just having fun. I don't play computer games simply because they don't suit my make up but Photshop suits me because it's challenging at what is learned can be put to practical use. Like making $100 bills that work in ATM machines :-) Just kidding.

thanks for being there (one of my favorite films with Peter Sellars)

Michael

P.S. I got this when trying to post earlier

Error: Error reported by Serv: 400 titi.nntpservercom : Server too busy -please try lat- nntp@ nntpserver.com .

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com