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Please help me "extract"


C

cjartist

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I need to figure out a quick, yet clean, way to "extract" an image from it's background. I have been tampering with the extract tool in Photoshop 6, but when I place the newly extracted image onto a new background in Quark...it is in a white box. I used the clipping command in Quark, but it comes out messy with white edges or holes. :(| Please help me!
 
use the lasso tool to go around your image, then paste into a new document and use the eraser to touch it up, then copy the layer into the new image :)

hope that helps
 
Actually... this is a special situation Scorpion.

First off... welcome to the community cjartist. Hope you enjoy your stay.

And i hope we can find you a solution here too. :righton:

What version of Quark are you using? Older versions either do not support or having trouble supporting bitmap transparency in imporated image. Newer versions though have better support for this.

I'm not a Quark user myself... all i know is what i've read/heard. Hopefully someone else here can give you a more direct answer/solution.

Erik? Wendy? Gauss? Stu? Stroker? Any of you guys use Quark?

Anyone else maybe? 8[
 
Erik has but I believe hes at an exhibition.


Quark is vector right? so maybe you need a vector mask.I am not familiar enought with Quark either sorry.



Stu.
 
Welcome to the board cjartist :righton:

Sorry, but I never used Quark.
Interesting to know for those who do use Quark what the background of your Quark document look like. Is it an image or just plain white?
 
First...it's great to be here! Thanks to all you guys for responding so quickly...haven't had much luck with getting response from forums before. My backgrounds will change every two weeks...I design a car magazine. The background I am working on is a scene of a country road. I am trying to place an SUV in the foreground. I did come up with something interest last night, but it was really late so, I'll have to continue today.

After extracting my image with the extract tool. I went under "help" and select export transprancy...it worked to take out the white box, but was still a little messy. I will continue to work on it and I will check back with you guys later to see if others in the group can advise me! Thanks again!

Cindy :)
 
Hiya & hullo cjartist,

I've used Quark 4 a fair bit and should be able to help.

What version of Quark first off, and in what format are you saving your 'clipped' images?

It would be better to place the SUV onto the background in Photoshop.
This would give a better final image. It's easier to 'fake it' in Photoshop.

Image on image in Q can be a bitch at times.

You would still be able to text wrap etc in Quark.

A screengrab of the problem would help, not the whole thing. Just a section showing where the SUV meets the background.

Al.
 
Ooo i like that idea Rantin... put the image over the same bg in PS, then save out with alpha. That would get rid of the white fuzzies. ;)

Good thinkin'. :righton:
 
What a good idea! It didn't even occur to me! [confused] I really haven't used Photoshop all that much and I don't know what you mean by "screengrab" and "save out with alpha". Sorry to be so dense! ;\ I'm quick to learn tho!!

Cindy
 
Mark! I hope you are kidding?

"Not even fuzzies. Not even alpha channel." GAAAAAH!

Use the tools for what they are good at.

Pictures = Photoshop.

Quark = Compositing.

I've had graphics supplied as artwork, actually made in Quark, }P , nothing but problems, as you might guess. ;)

cj, screengrab is just a snapshot of what is on screen, usually 'Print Screen', then trim to the bit of interest.


Al.
 
OK...I'm using QuarkXPress. I tried opening my background image in Photoshop, then placing my SUV on top. I cleaned and fiddled with it, then flattened the image and saved it as a pdf. It didn't give me the option to save out as alpha channels when I saved. [confused] Anyway...when I placed the completed image into QuarkXPress, it was really smudged and awful...like looking through a rainy window. I'm still trying. :{ Hope I don't drive you all to drink right off the bat!! 8}
 
Unless you have the Enhanced Preview extention loaded, the on screen view will look like mince. Quark uses a lo-resolution placement only image for previewing.

Instead of saving as a pdf, save the file as a high resolution tif file.

Is there any reason for you needing the alpha channel?
If you want a feathered edge to the image so that it fades into the page background, do that in Photoshop. IE, apply the mask.

You can use Quark to text wrap to the border of the feather.

Try this link for the Enhance Preview XT-SE (Freebie) and see if it is still available.

www.koyosha.com.

Carry on driving us to drink, you're on the bell anyway! :bustagut:
Al.
 
This screengrab shows what you get with and without the Enhance Preview using tif images.

Pic 1 , Mask saved as an Alpha channel.

Pic 2, Mask applied and saved as an Alpha channel.

Pic 3, Mask converted and saved as a Clipping Path.

You can see that the clipping path gives a cleaner edge.
Using an Alpha channel gives a stepped edge in parts, even modifying the Quark Clipping settings did not improve the edge.

The car was cut out and blended (roughly)with another background and merged.

So my suggestion is to use tif images and a clipping path.

Al
 
Thanks so much for all your help!! I've really learned a lot the last few days just tinkering with all you've told me! I appreciate your input! :D
 
Firstly, welcome aboard cjartist! :)

You've already received some excellent advice here. R.A. is "bang on". :righton: IOW Photoshop = imagery and QuarkXPress = imagery layout! I've had a bit of experience with Quark and would never, in a million years, rely on it to "produce graphics". Just remember that what you see onscreen (preview) in Quark, in no way resembles output (print). ;)

To further add to R.A.'s excellent guidance, I always save files from PS as hi-res TIFFS... Quark seems to like this format and I've never been disappointed.

As an 'aside', R.A. this new 'enhanced preview' sounds interesting! [excited] I must check it out as I can see that it might be handy from a 'client' point-of-view. ;)
 
Hiya Wendy, Hope you enjoyed your break. ;)

We've been really good while you were away! [innocent]

Honest! :D :bustagut: :bustagut: :bustagut: :bustagut:

The preview is good for checking placements in Quark, recommend it. :righton:

Al
 
:D Tx Rantin!

;) You've been very, very good....at being very, very bad!
 
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