Photoshop help

I'm using the latest version of Photoshop and heres what I need help with, if anyone knows... I have a picture... but I don't want the picture to save with the backround, I want it to standalone in it's shape, like the bakround when you save always is rectangular with a white (or backround color of watever of your chosing) backround, (i'm not talking about the backround layer, not really layers) I wanna basiaclly remove that and make the final JPEG itself take the shape of the picture I cut out. (hard to explain I know, I'm bad) But if anyone knows what i'm talking about and can help! plz help!

[stevegreen]

No expert, but it sounds like you need to outline the oblect you want to cut out with one of the lassoo tools and paste it onto a new layer, save that layer then you are sorted.

Someone will probably correct me.

Come again? I want the outline of the picture I took to be the final thing, like for example, I want to insert it into a video, but the problem is the white rectangular backround is still part of it, how can I make it by itself, like the outline of the guys face by itself.... Like the picture JPEG itself take the shape of the picture (the guys face) and no white backround or border... i'm trying my best to explain but i'm bad!

[owain_thomas]

it will work just like steve says:

1. use a selection tool (like the lassoo) to select the part of the image you want.

2. use the cut command (ctrl+x) to remove it from the background

3. paste it (ctrl+v), this will put it in a new layer.

4. on the layers pallette drag the background layer to the trash to delete it. You will now be left with the selected object over a checkerboard background (ie just the object, no white background)

5. save it.

that should work.

[dolph]

Don't think the other guys have solved this for you....

Make sure the background your picture on is transparent in photoshop (will look like grey chequered squares)

This can't be saved as JPEG as JPEG doesn't support transpareny.

What are you importing this to? What formats does it accept?

Program I use accepts most formats, what formats can I use that'll let the transparency thing work?

[mattym]

save it as a transparent gif?

[tomson]

do a 'save for web' from the 'File' menu - then choose gif (or png) from the dropdown in the top right, then make sure the transparency option is ticked.

[gjc-ortho]

Had problems with this recently. As suggested above by mattym and tomson, the way to do this is tho save it as .gif.

Cheers all