Question for the graphic artists experts.

[Zeddicus]

I am looking to create a black text logo with a transparent background. When I scan the artwork that is black text on white paper, I get a white background surrounding the text. I want to post the logo on a website, so that the web page background shows through. So basically what you have is black text on the web page background color.

I figured out how to do this a couple of years ago using adobe photoshop, but for the life of me I cant remember how I did it. Right now I am trying to accomplish this using paint shop pro, though I do have access to a system with photoshop. Anyone have any ideas on how to do this?

Thanks
Zedd

 

[olds]

0.05 posts? I don't feel the love. But, I'll allow my minions to help anyway.

 

[bjb86s]

There are multiple ways to do this:

1. Use the magic wand tool to select the black text, select -> inverse, delete.
2. Use lasso tools to trace an outline, select -> inverse, delete.
3. Use the eraser tool by hand.

Be sure to save it as a GIF.

 

[jjones]

The easiest way to do it since you're scanning is to flood fill the white background to get a uniform solid white background. Then save as a gif file selecting the white background as your transparent color.

Edit: To flood fill, you'll be using the paint bucket tool. Play around with the color tolerance so you get all of the background when you flood fill. When scanning, what appears to be a white background is actually a myriad of pixels of different shades of white. These will all need to be uniformly of the same shade of white. Flood filling will do this. Once the background is uniformly white you can then select that color as the transparent color when saving as a gif file and you won't see it when it's included on a web page, only the black text is visible.