1st tutorial, problem with embellishment

[Riyallyn]

I've been slowly working my way through the first tutorial, and it's going pretty good. When I got to the embellishments part, I found a different set on this site that would go better with my layout. I downloaded them and opened the zip file and they looked great. But when I select any of them, they all have a black background and I don't know how to get rid of it.

The set I downloaded is called SeeingStars. It is beautiful. I tried to post on that thread that I was going to use them, but ran into "technical errors". I'll post that tomorrow, but I wanted to say something. :)

If anybody has any ideas on what I need to do to get rid of that background, I would greatly appreciate it.

Oh, I'm using PSP 7.

Thank you very much.

Riya

[Starling]

I don't use PSP, but in Photoshop this is what I would do. It might be basic enough to work for you too.

I'd put a transparent layer under the element. This probably isn't necessary, but it has worked for me in the past.

Photoshop has a "magic wand" selection tool, but you can use whatever selection tools PSP has to select the black background. Once you have it selected delete it. In Photoshop both the Delete key and the Backspace key work to delete things. In PSP you probably have a command available under Edit.

Now you should be able to drag just the layer with the element into your new document.

With any luck a PSP guru will be along in a few minutes to give you better advice.

[Amanda]

Sounds like you may need to alpha channel loaded. Search the forums for Alpha Channel and I'm sure you'll find what you need :)

[Emma]

glad to hear you got it! Hopefully that tutorial will help; If I had PSP7 I'd update it for that too, but I've never used it so can't take any screen shots, and don't know precisely the process to describe in text.

Can you tell me exactly how you sorted it out? Selection>Load Selection> from Alpha Channel? Then what did you have to do? Guessing or saying, "Try this" on a tutorial sounds really bad, LOL! But I can act stupid here, and frequently do!

[Riyallyn]

LOL! I'm blonde, and live for being stupid.

"Selection>Load Selection> from Alpha Channel" is exactly what worked. If you like, I can grab some screen shots a little later tonight and send them to you.

Oh, here's the link to my first one...

Snow Dogs (http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=27956&cat=613&page=1)

[Emma]

Hey, I'm the first to admit when I don't know something, 'cause the last thing I need is trying to know it all. I'd look even stupider when I say, "I don't know" after bluffing like that, LOL! :D

Sure, screen shots would be great! I looked at v7 once, about a year ago, on a trial download. I said, "Too hard, I'll stick with what I know!!!" I picked up v8 just a few months later, and knowing Photoshop better really helped me learn another software.

Anyway, welcome! You sound like a ton of fun! Appreciate the shots, just email me
emma@digitalscrapbookplace.com
and I'll post 'em. Not sure what I need, mabye just a before and after with a menu shot in between???