Hi,

I need to create a photomontage, with some of the elements looking as if they were cut out of a sheet... um cut out to leave the image in a circular picture, difficult to explain exactly what I mean.

Well for instance, I tried this by using a largish brush and painting out the edges of an image - using white, leaving the image in a circular form surrounded by white.  I then set the palette transparence to white, and saved the image as a .gif - since I know that only gif supports transparency.  Looked fine in photoshop sitting there, the circular image surrounded by transparency.

BUT!  When I tried to copy that image and then paste it into the big image - it turned up alright but the transparency was back to white, with horrid square edges again, no oval picture.

I can select just the strange architectural building with it's weird curving roof and use a brush (white again) to paint out the sky behind it, I can save that image with the white as transparrent, looks just fine... but I can't then copy that image - without the white/transparent bits showing up as rotten old white... help?

I've looked around for tutorials, but can't tell which (if any) tutorials might cover this action.

Help?  (This is for work.)

Oh, at work I have Photoshop CS but on my laptop at home I have CS2 - help in doing this in either would be a great boon.

If you take the eliptical marquee tool (click the small rectangle on the rectangular one, top left) you can drag your circle or ellips.

shift makes it circular
alt makes it start from where you start
the spacebar lets you position it.

this creates a selection which you can feather (toolbar) or/and anti alias

copy to clipboard
activate other file
paste from clipboard.

this creates a new layer
the move tool lets you position it.

if needed you can stroke (edit>stroke)

another way would be to use paths, but that's more techie, and if you have problems with this, the method I described it the simplest one.

oh, and if you have repositioned layers, it's a good idea to select all (Ctrl-A) , invert selection and then delete. this gets rid of pixels hanging in thin air that you don't see.

and if you're looking for tutorials: for $25 you get a one month membership at lynda.com . Choose Photoshop CS2 and watch Deke McLelland on Channels and Masks. He's a bit of an ego (to say theleast) but his knowledge is jawdropping. And he's a good teacher. (he's funny)

  Mostly, what I do, is to create a layer of the colour I want, lock the layer with the image I want to show... select the layer I want to "put a 'hole' in", and use eraser, set to airbrush, fully soft, to get the "Fade-out" edge... if you want you start with a circle, and "pull" it into the shape you want to start with.  I usually work with my background set to transparent. Lou.

y...eee...ssss... but that method means I can only get a standardised  repetative circle or eclipse, nothing individual.

Is an individually made shape not possible?

Either hand painted or via using the magic selection brush thingie - like I asked about in the first message?

The building with the weirdly shaped roof???

Pretty please?

Archdruid,
Just now saw your post, sorry.

Quote -   Mostly, what I do, is to create a layer of the colour I want, lock the layer with the image I want to show... select the layer I want to "put a 'hole' in", and use eraser, set to airbrush, fully soft, to get the "Fade-out" edge... if you want you start with a circle, and "pull" it into the shape you want to start with.  I usually work with my background set to transparent. Lou.

Um... I'm not bothered about "a layer of colour"... unless by that you mean any colour that I can later use to set the transparency?

Otherwise I'm not really following.

Not sure what you mean by "pull it" here: *" if you want you start with a circle, and "pull" it into the shape you want to start with."

I just want to be able to paint out part of the image - all the edges and leave the visible image in say for instance - the shape of a question mark, or the shape of a hat, or the shape of a... paintbrush - anything but a regular standard shape. 

Is that possible at all?

Then I want to be able to transfer that image in the shape of ... a question mark, and paste it onto another bigger image with all of the other image showing except the area covered by the question mark.

Then I want to do the whole thing again with a new image - in (for instance) a different shape of a.... pair of pliers, or... a vacuum flask (these are just for instances, I don't know all the shapes I'll need to use I just want to be able to use any shape I can paint) and then paste that flask shaped image onto my big image, and then do another one and another and... so on and so on...

Am I explaining this okay?

Of course al that is possible. You should understand the pricipe of masks to see this is nog a big issue at all. There are tons of tutorials out there. You can attach a mask to a layer. That can be a pixel-based mask, or a vector-based one. For both it is the same: what is white will show the contents of the layer, what is black will hide, i.e. what is black, will turn transparent. Every greyscale between black and white will result in a gradation of transparancy. you can brush, paste or draw any shape you like. Masks are a biggie in Photoshop. They are also used in Adjustment Layers, on layer groups. Look around and discover a world of possibilities!

  Sorry Fran, I had thought you might want something like an oval for a cameo-like effect... what I was talking about was, in Transform mode, you'd set an anchor point, then "grab" the edge you want to move, for example, down, giving you an oval. What Hoofdcommisaris is suggesting would probably work better for you. I'm away from my main sys, so I'm going to post a little more later. Lou.

I thought it might be something to do with masks, I mean logically "masks" sounds feasible.  But I've not done much with masks, and there are hundreds and thousands of tutorials out there - most with titles that don't give me a clue as to what they are about, or what functions they are using - it's a pity there can't be a) a title for a tut and b) a group of keywords for a tutorial so that we can search more efficiently, then I could find what I need without a long time researching what I need to know.  I don't have much time left...

Sorry - my desperation is showing a bit there.

I think I'm getting a bit nearer.

Archdruid,

If you could post something, some hint as to what to look for (if not how to do it) then I'd be so grateful.

Fran, It is not too hard. Whenever you are on a layer, you can add a mask. Pixel or vector. Via the menu, or via the symbol on the bottom of the layers palette. I think this visual should help you further! Feel free to ask more. Search terms would be 'Photoshop mask tutorial'

Right, thanks.

So... thinking about the "building with the strange roof" image now, can I do a magic thingie selection and get the building and its roof selected - paint this mask thing in the area that isn't the building, and then use the mask part to turn the sky, ground, trees etc transparent - leaving me with a weird building shaped image?

Or can I not use the selection thing to pick out the building - but have to paint delicately around it by hand so as to use the mask function?

Only using a selection tool I can paint out the background with a massive brush in seconds - being accurate by hand will take some hours of work.

Using your original method, when you've painted out with white.
I would just click the white with the magic eraser to get it transparent.

Then you can export this as a PSD instead of a GIF. (Nothing supports transparency better than a photoshop file!)

When you bring that file back into photoshop it will have kept the transparency.

What I would do...
If you're more comfortable with painting than tracing round. Go into quick mask mode.
Paint your mak onto your building. Use a feathered brush round the edge if you want soft edges.
Out of quick mask and cut'n'paste into the new document. It saves exporting and importing.

G'day, please Ensure your layers palette remains open. Feel free to Open your image. Note well: When the image is flat, you will only see one layer in the layers palette - the background layer. in the 'layer' menu, the one at the top of the screen - choose duplicate. Click in the layers palette click on the background layer (it's a preview icon) Feel free to 'edit' and 'select all' of the image and tap delete - this will fill your original image with the background colour -I would fill this layer with green. Deselect the selection. This green background, though not necessary, will help you see what is transparent to assist understanding what a mask does. Click on the upper layer, the copy, the one that was duplicated_in the layers palette. ** immediately go to the layer menu - add layer mask - reveal all ** painting method You can paint on the layer's mask (the mask is little preview icon on the right in the layers palette ) click on it. - hit "d" on the keyboard - this resets the colours to black and white - hit x on the keyboard - this swaps the foreground background colours back and forth. Click inside the photoshop where your image is and begin to paint - it will look like it's erasing the image - swap paint colours to fix mistakes , even change the brush size if you want. Feel free to glance over to the palette and you may notice a change with the preview - but only of the mask. selection method Select the layer, thre is a little preview icon on the left, in the layers palette. Feel free to Select an area inside the photoshop where your image is with any combination of selection tools, the parts of the the image area you want kept. Tip: Holding 'shift' will add to the selection - (hit 'another key' to take away)- the cursor will change on screen with the correct key tap Once you are happy with the selection, keep it active. click inside the layers palette while selection is active, and click on the mask ( the mask is little preview icon on the right ) - invert the colors inside this mask - you will notice parts of your image. are transparent, deselect the selection inside the mask. only now - if you need to invert the mask (image - adjust - invert) Both methods are valid and some people use a combination of both methods __ The Next Step___ From what I remember you can just drag the layer from the layers palette onto the window of another photoshop document, and the mask travels with it. Just be aware that the colour-space of both documents are either the same of very similar. because it's a mask- when you only change the mask the full image remains and parts of it merely hidden not erased.

edit. Just be aware that the colour-space of both documents should be the same or extremly similar, because this efectivly is copy n paste.

I don't mind if you use a new layer to mask another, it's a valid option. ...when you said.. "Mostly, what I do, is to create a layer of the colour I want, lock the layer with the image I want to show... select the layer I want to "put a 'hole' in", and use eraser, set to airbrush, fully soft, to get the "Fade-out" edge... if you want you start with a circle, and "pull" it into the shape you want to start with..." ....I remembered you can make this layer a Mask.... this layer (the one with the hole) in the layers palette... select all, cut. Click the double click background layer, hit ok, go to the layer menu (top of screen) select "add layer mask" reveal all. select the mask preview icon in the palette and paste you can now drag the layer with the mask to the another document window. ______ ....I also remembered you can make this layer a selection.... on the mac, hit the command key (on the IBm compatible - alt??) while clicking on this layer (the one with the hole) in the layers palette... using this special click will use this layer and make the edges of it (fuzzy or sharp) a selection. Click the background layer, go to the select menu (top of screen) select inverse. you can now copy and paste part of the image to the new document. --