HOOOOOOOOOW DO YOU CONVERT A SOLID COLOR TO TRANSPARANCY?????????????????????????????????????? THAN

CS
Posted By
Cal_Sloan
Apr 1, 2004
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445
Replies
6
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Closed
Hi, I was wondering how you can turn a solid color (neon green for example) into transparancy. That is, set it so everything that happens to be this one color is switched to transparant, instead of the color. Is this possible?

The situation im in is this; im designing a logo and have used lens flare. I want the lens flare to stay but the color behind it to be transparent so when the logo’s on the site the flare is there but it looks like it’s just flaring the into the background from the corner of the logo.

Your help is MUCH MUCH appreciated! THANKS!!

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LG
Lorace_Graham
Apr 1, 2004
When you go to File/New, you get a menu to choose the size you want. At the bottom left of the menu, you have a choice for the background you want and Transparency is the last choise.

Hope this helps,

Lorace

So what I’d do, is open it to transparency and see if you can get the lens flare on there.
RF
Robert_F_Carruth
Apr 1, 2004
Cal,

This is one way:

Open the file normally. Double click the Background layer and either give it a name or accept the default "Layer 0". This converts it to a layer with a transparent background. Select the Magic Wand tool. In the tool’s options clear the check box for "Contiguous". Click anywhere on the solid color you want to remove. This should select all the pixels of that color. Hit the delete key and you will have the flare in tact (unless it contains any pixels of the same color)and a transparent background. If you lose any thing you want to keep undo and lower the tolerance from the default of 32 to say 16 and try again. You may have to recheck contiguous and do the deletes in stages.

Bob
CS
Cal_Sloan
Apr 1, 2004
Thanks Lorace and Robert, i tried both your methods.

lorace i cant seem to render the lens flare on transparancy it gives me the ‘cannot complete because no pixels are selected’ message.

Robert your method almost worked, but the part of the page that the flare will be over is a varying grid pattern which i cant use as a background because where the image (it will be centered) is in relation to the background will shift depending on how high a resolution the user browsing the page is using.

it did work but i could only get it to select surrounding the flare and the color inside the flare (besides the coloring of the flare itself) remained the same.

know it can differentiate between the degrees of the color because i can go into; Enhance > Adjust Color > Replace Color; and lighten or darken it and the flare remains just the colors inside it change. if i could just turn the color into transparancy instead of say white (if i turn the Fuzziness up to 200 and Lightness all the way up to +100)

that would be perfect. im still actively trying to do this. I really appreciate your input. if there’s a way im not thinking of PLEASE give me input. even if you dont think it can be done let me know why, or if there’s another way around to doing it. Any and all input is MUCH MUCH apprecaited.

THANKS!!!!
RF
Robert_F_Carruth
Apr 2, 2004
Cal,

The grid pattern is just the way Elements displays transparency. It won’t show on your web page.

Did you still have the neon green inside the flare with contiguos unchecked? It should select everything of the same color range where ever it is.

As an alternative you can zoom in and make multiple selections of the colors you don’t want inside the flare. On the tool bar next to the picture of the selected Magic Wand tool there is a series of modifications to the selection process. Hover your cursor over them and pick the one that pops up "Add to Selection" then each click will select an additional area for deletion.

Bob
CS
Cal_Sloan
Apr 2, 2004
Bob, thanks again for the input. the grid pattern i meant was the background of the webpage the logo’s for. i didnt word my reply very good.

when i use the magic want & uncheck contiguous; it selects all the same color around the lens flare, but inside the flare it’s still the background layer color. if i do shift + magic wand inside the flare it selects the inside as well, but also selects the rays of light i want to keep. i can get it to the point where i see the outer circle of the flare, but the light jutting out of the center get’s deleted w/ the background i’m trying to change to transparant.

If only there was a way i could use Filter > Render > Lens Flare; and have it show up by drawing the flare pixels onto the transparancy. it seems to want pixels there to start with. when i try this; (no background just logo on transparancy) and i select the corner of the logo i want the lens flare on half of the flare shows up on the logo, and the rest which would be on extended but transparent inside (idealy) doesnt get drawn onto the transparancy.

hope i explained this ok, if anyone needs me to clarify what i mean please ask.

all comments & advice are MUCH appreciated.

THANKS!!!

Cal
RF
Robert_F_Carruth
Apr 2, 2004
Cal,

Don’t know if this will help. It would be easier if I could see the image you are trying to modify. The link below takes you to a tutorial that has helped me eliminate all unwanted background.

<http://www.arraich.com/elements/pse_mmask1.htm>

Hope it helps.

Bob

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