I have used extract (I thought) to take out the background of an object.  I assumed this would leave all but the object transparent for me to import/place in an illustrator piece of work.  That is, the object  shape only not the background etc.

Anyway, I did the extract, imported into Illustrator but still get the whole square canvas complete with opaque (white) background which is totally, no good to me at all.  I tried importing, placing and cutting pasting - same result.  I even did it in several formats. PSD JPEG TIFF.....  same result.

I am sure its "me".  Anyone have any pearls of wisdom with which to point this damsel in distress in the right direction?  Oh yes... I'm using CS3 if that makes a diference.

(if you click on the image you can see the background better)

...then paste it into the new, unnamed image file.

**This will allow you to crop out the white background.

Hope this helps

Ok.... I got it to look like your arrow, no problems.  I then copied and pasted into a new document. So I have the object plus background layer.  Do I just leave those layers, merge them, flatten whatever?    And you say i still have to crop the background out with <<select and <<color.

I tried cut and paste into ilustrator but still got the full rectangle with solid white background.

Its me I know I am not doing something I should be doing. I spend too much time in the creative zone and not enough on the technicalities.  Like I know what I want to do just trying to get it done evades me at times. :(

In Photoshop saving your file as either a GIF or PNG will preserve the transparency.
Then just “place” that file in Illustrator.

Note: If saving as a GIF (which I prefer), make sure that “Transparency" and "Preserve Exact Colors" are checked.

SWAMP

I don't have illustrator, I thought that as an Adobe product, a *psd file would be handled correctly. 

If you save the file as a JPG or BMP, the background will automatically turn white.

“…I thought that as an Adobe product, a *psd file would be handled correctly. “

 Well it does…I was just giving a quick and easy answer that works (KISS= Keep it simple SWAMP, or you’ll confuse the crap out of people).
A Psd file with transparency works fine as long as it is not a background layer (layer from background..) or you haven’t merged it with the background, or you delete the background under the current layer, or…..( fades out into endless babbling).

 The difference is both GIF and PNG have kind of a “built in” alpha/trans channel/mask (whatever), where a Psd doesn’t.

SWAMP

Ah! I see said the blind carpenter as he picked up his hammer and saw...

...one of these days I'll invest in illustrator and spend time learning it...

LOL well I'm pleased you guys have sorted it out between yourselves. I'm still missing something. My GIF settings are Compuserve GIF right. But I can see any checkboxed transparency and or preserve axact colours.    Maybe my classroom in a book witl divulge the mysteries....

OK, an update to this.

The only way I could find to do it was to place the object with transparent background on my background in photoshop.  By doing that I could see that all of your above advice works.  And then bring that work complete with layers into Illustrator for more post-work.

Forgive me... but there MUST be away of bringing those files straight into illustrator.. there just has to be. A question for the Illustrator foorum I guess !!!

Anyways thanks for all your help :)

Drky xxx

Not quite sure if it was relayed (skimmed this thread TBH) this way, but when you extract you object, try copying itonto a new layer - a 2 layer PSD with a background and "the object".

Open THIS in Illustrator and drag the top layer (the object) onto the other document in Illustrator - people seem very click-happy with copy/paste but literall just get your Move Tool (black arrow) and you can drag any elements from one doc to another - just drag the top layer over.

Hope this helps-
-Lew ;-)

Ahh yes.. I am going to try this because I have loads of this stuff to do so many thanks for your feedback.

Drky xxx

Quote - Not quite sure if it was relayed (skimmed this thread TBH) this way, but when you extract you object, try copying itonto a new layer - a 2 layer PSD with a background and "the object".

Open THIS in Illustrator and drag the top layer (the object) onto the other document in Illustrator - people seem very click-happy with copy/paste but literall just get your Move Tool (black arrow) and you can drag any elements from one doc to another - just drag the top layer over.

Hope this helps-
-Lew ;-)