intelligently apply the multiply blend mode to remove white backgrounds

[PanoMAn]

what i am trying to do:
take a look at this

i want layer 1 to overlap layer 2 as if i had erased the white background on layer 1 but i want do it quickly
eg by applying a layer style instead of using the magic eraser which can be unpredictable without using the lasso tool to restrict it.

possible solution:
what if the multiply blending mode was applied more intelligently:
here's what i mean in pseudo code:
IF at least one of the overlapping pixels in either layer is white
THEN apply multiply mode as normal
ie multiply the pixel values and divide by 255.

IF neither of the pixels is white
THEN only display the pixel in the uppermost layer
(in this case layer 1).

why do i want to do this:
Because i am doing this all day long at a job in a photographic lab
and i want to speed up the whole process by selecting
multiple layers and applying a saved layer style or some other equally
rapid method of making the white background transparent.
I am not interested in solutions involving the magic eraser,
layer masks or anything that can't be applied in one go .
I have looked at the 'blend if' sliders in the
layer style window but this needs per layer adjustment
so is not a time saver and does not always give a
smooth overlap anyway.

thanks for reading this
hope u can help.

 

[peta62]

Why don't you just get rid of white and use 100% opacity ? Am I missing anything ?

 

[AbdulW87]

you might find your solution by creating an action for what you want to do. and then apply that action to image(s) when you need. i havent played with PS actions so dont know much about them but maybe some expert member or mod can help you with it.

 

[Stric9]

You don't want to use multipy you want to use blend if.

Create a new layer under your image layer and go to blending options and use the blend if sliders.

Once the background is gone you can merge the two layers to get one layer without the background.

 

[PanoMAn]

You don't want to use multipy you want to use blend if.

Create a new layer under your image layer and go to blending options and use the blend if sliders.

Once the background is gone you can merge the two layers to get one layer without the background.

i have tried 'blend if' but the results are not predictable and, as i jave said, they have to be adjusted
depending on the layer content which is no quicker than using the magic eraser.

i want something i can apply instantly to at least 4 layers which will effectively make the white area
transparent but do a different blending for the overlapping coloured areas as explained in the jpeg.

are there any adobe sdk developers round here coz i think its going to take some custom programming,
unless there is already a plug-in which does the above.

thanks for replies so far.

 

[AbdulW87]

i have tried 'blend if' but the results are not predictable and, as i jave said, they have to be adjusted
depending on the layer content which is no quicker than using the magic eraser.

i want something i can apply instantly to at least 4 layers which will effectively make the white area
transparent but do a different blending for the overlapping coloured areas as explained in the jpeg.

are there any adobe sdk developers round here coz i think its going to take some custom programming,
unless there is already a plug-in which does the above.

thanks for replies so far.

i was going to say the same thing that it seems this might be achieved using a custom made plugin. well all i can say is good luck solving your problem.

 

[SCTRWD]

Man, you were given good advice - use "Blend if" options, which does just what you described EXACTLY. And the "Blend if" options can be included in Layer Style and applied to all selected layers at once.

But then you wanted something else again, you wanted it to be "adjusted depending on the layer content". You wanted it to also "please your eye"

Sorry, man. You have to choose: either do it globaly, quick and easy, or do it differently and manually, "depending on the layer content" and so that it also looks good to you...

No plugin or custom programming or "adobe sdk developers" can read your mind and do something one way on one layer and another way on the other layer There is no way to automatically do the thing that "please your eye". There is no way to automatically do it on different layers...

You don't have to be a programmer to understand this simple fact of life.

Let alone the mere fact that an Adobe PS plugin CAN'T be applied to multiple layers, and it CAN'T create new layers.

 

[PanoMAn]

you don't seem to have read this part of my post:

what if the multiply blending mode was applied more intelligently:
here's what i mean in pseudo code:
IF at least one of the overlapping pixels in either layer is white
THEN apply multiply mode as normal
ie multiply the pixel values and divide by 255.

IF neither of the pixels is white
THEN only display the pixel in the uppermost layer
(in this case layer 1).

the question i am asking is: is there a way of making this happen?
AS I SAID, I HAVE TRIED BLEND IF SLIDERS AND IN THIS CASE THEY DO NOT WORK!!
its nothing to do with reading my mind, i tried to make the post as unambiguous as possible,
in your case i clearly failed.

i am not going to bother replying to each part of your post because everything i have asked so far
has been done in a civil and polite tone, something which is clearly lost on characters like you.

 

[SCTRWD]

Yep, this is "Blend if" option:

IF at least one of the overlapping pixels in either layer is white
THEN apply multiply mode as normal
ie multiply the pixel values and divide by 255.

If A is non-white and B - is white(255, 255, 255) then "multiply" of A and B is:

(A * 255)/255 = A,

that is - just simple NORMAL mode.

And the way to make it happen - use "Blend if" option.