Stray pixels - help!

[pixiegirl72]

LOL that should be STRAY PIXELS!

I know there must be an easy way to do this. I have a graphic that I'm trying to use, it's on a white background. So I cut it out with a magic wand tool, inversed it, copied, pasted it to a transparent background.

The outline of this graphic is black and antialiased so on the edges its lighter gray. I'm using it on a very dark background so when I put the transparent graphic on that dark background those light gray antialiased pixels stick out like crazy, some are almost white.

I'm not sure of the easy way to fix this.

I tried to, after I selected the graphic (it's a cartoon dog in an airplane), to negative feather it (-3) thinking that would cut out those light gray pixels. But they are still there. I was going to go in and erase them but because its on a transparent background I can't see them on that gray and white patterned transparent background.

So my question is how to do this? Can I some how temporarily change the transparent background to something dark so I can see the pixels or should I do something differently when I'm selecting it and inversing the selection before I paste it to the transparent background?

Thank you for any suggestions. I'm fairly new to photoshop, I'm using CS5.

Susan

 

[MrToM]

...So my question is how to do this? Can I some how temporarily change the transparent background to something dark...

Lets start with the simplest solution along the lines that you've already suggested...

1. Create a new layer via the Create A New Layer Icon (Second from right) at the bottom of the layers panel... (HOLD CTRL when you do!)
2. Fill that with a suitable dark colour.

Now continue with whatever you wanted to do.....and if it still doesn't turn out right then come back and we'll try and sort it for you.

Remember...use the tools available to you....there is nothing stopping you using a layer to see what you are doing...you can always turn it off or delete it when you need to save the file out.

Regards.
MrTom.

 

[pixiegirl72]

Ok I figuring that out on my own and once you posted used some of your instructions, thanks. However when I put a dark layer under the graphic there are so many light gray pixels from the anti aliasing that it would take me a month to get them all out. The graphic is like a cartoon so its ok to have a solid black line as it's outline, it doesn't really need to have much anti aliasing.

So what is another way to turn those gray pixels to transparent?

Can I cut it out in a different way?

I used magic wand and then inversed it then copied and pasted. Is there a way to pick just the black pixels and leave behind those gray ones?

Seriously there are a lot of those gray pixels.

Thanks, so much to learn!

Susan

 

[hawkeye]

Without seeing the actual image it's difficult to say exactly, but as it is a graphic, a vector mask might be a good choice.

 

[MrToM]

No worries...

If the 'grey bits' are constant around the image then try this...

1. HOLD CTRL + click on layer THUMBNAIL (This creates a marquee based on ALL the pixels on the layer.)
2. Use SELECT > MODIFY > CONTRACT and enter the number of pixels you think the 'grey bits' occupy...as if they were a border or a stroke.....its probably around 3 or 4 pixels? [guess]
3. Once your marquee is reduced use SELECT > INVERSE to swap the marquee to the pixels outside of those you want to keep.
4. Hit delete on your keyboard.

I always hit delete a few times as sometimes just once isn't enough.

That should remove EVERYTHING outside of the main image.
Without seeing the image in question its impossible to be any more exact than that but thats the general principle of it.

If OTOH you have 'stray' pixels other than just around the edge then try this...

1. Do the same as #1 above.
2. Select 'A' Marquee tool....whichever you feel most comfortable with.
3. DESELECT those pixels outside of the main image.....effectively to get you to the same point as the result in #1 above.....a marquee around the edge of your image only.
4. Continue as above from #2 onwards.

If thats all too daunting then you could always add a layer mask to the image and use the brush tool, in black, to paint away anything you don't want.

Failing that you could use the pen tool to draw a path around the pixels you want to keep, convert it to a selection and do the same as above.

Failing that I'd go down the pub and 'think' about it for a couple of pints.

Give one of those a try.

(It would be easier to instruct you if you posted the image so I can work through it with you....hint )

Regards.
MrTom.

 

[pixiegirl72]

Oh boy Mr. Tom, you are a guru. I was just going to post the graphic (it's my friends logo) and I thought well I don't understand what the $^#%@*$ he's talking about but I'm going to try and just follow each step and see what happens. It worked!!! 4 pixels was too much so I went with 2. Amazing you're a genius!

I use to, many moons ago, work with the old Paint Shop Pro and loved it. It was sold, screwed up and I'm now on a Mac so I'm trying to learn Photoshop. It's no where near as intuitive as PSP was, but I'm determined to learn it and I'm sure it does a lot more. Now I'm gonna head down to the pub and celebrate! Thanks again. xxoo!

 

[MrToM]

Ooooops! I totally missed this....sorry. :redface:

...Oh boy Mr. Tom, you are a guru...

Nah....just been around PS too long!

...I'm going to try and just follow each step and see what happens. It worked!!!...

Great!
(But then that's the whole point of me writing out the steps.....for you to follow....:banghead

...Now I'm gonna head down to the pub and celebrate! Thanks again. xxoo!...

No worries......have beer for me!

Regards.
MrTom.