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Thread: New to this

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
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    Richfield, MN
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    Default New to this

    As an aspiring website builder, it was suggested that I invest into a graphics program. They said Xara was the best, and so I invested. While I learn how to use this powerful program, I have two questions in the meantime - things I want to learn how to do first -

    1 - How to take a pic with a white background, and make it transparent.

    2 - How to take that pic with the transparent background, and enable a shadow around the pic itself, not the entire square frame.

    Please advise. Many thanks for showing the new guy some kindness.

    Rob S.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2000
    Location
    Placitas, New Mexico, USA
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    Default Re: New to this

    Welcome to TalkGraphics

    It depends on the background. If the background is a solid color, white for example, you might be able to use Mehdi Eraser Classic. With the photo selected, click the Live Effects Tool (the electric plug) and click New on the Infobar, then scroll down to Mehdi > Mehdi Eraser Classic.

    The attached screen photo shows the white selected which will be removed when you press OK.

    You may need to experiment with the Tolerance setting to get the best results.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

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  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
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    Richfield, MN
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    Default Re: New to this

    Extremely useful. Thank you much. The only thing is with this particular pic (the HTML5 logo) the "5" itself is white as well as the area surrounding the orange shield, and so when I clicked on the white to be "erased" it chose the white 5" a well. Not the biggest of deals but is there a way to fill in pixle by pixle the color of choosing - including white?

    Thanks again. How many more questions do I get to ask?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
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    Sunshine Coast BC, Canada. In a beautiful part of BC's temperate rainforest
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    Default Re: New to this

    Hello IeMS, Welcome to Talkgraphics!

    If the photo you want to knock out of the background is not too complicated you can use the shape tool and trace around it to create a shape over top of the portion you want to keep, select both the photo and the shape and hit ctrl+3 on your keyboard to intersect. To give it a shadow you can either use the shadow tool and use the shadow controls on the infobar to adjust your shadow blur, transparency etc. or when you make the shape to knock out the shadow copy it to the clipboard and paste that copy in after intersecting, offset it, and send it to the back. What this will do is give you a vector shape that you can manipulate with the shape tool, stretch, skew, apply transparencies to etc in different ways that you can't do with the shape tool.

    You can ask as many questions as you like
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    My current Xara software: Designer Pro 365 12.6

    Good Morning Sunshine.ca | Good Morning Sunshine Online(a weekly humorous publication created with XDP and exported as a web document) | Angelize Online resource shop | My Video Tutorials | My DropBox |
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  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Richfield, MN
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    Default Re: New to this

    Still learning the terminology with this program. My immediate goal is to figure out how to make white background of a pic transparent without making the white text transparent also - such as with the HTML5 logo.

    How do I make the white background clear and keep the white text solid white?

    Thank you for your time.

    PS. Is there any place on here to get feedback on a website not made in Xara? Just curious.

  6. #6

    Default Re: New to this

    Quote Originally Posted by IeMS View Post
    Still learning the terminology with this program. My immediate goal is to figure out how to make white background of a pic transparent without making the white text transparent also - such as with the HTML5 logo.
    Many simple drawings and logos are best created by hand using the vector tools available in Xara P&GD7, the HTML5 logo is a perfect example of one that should take no more than 15 minutes by a complete novice.
    Rather than using bitmap plugins and faffing around placing white shapes behind the white areas you wanted to retain, just lock the bitmap then use the Shape Tool to trace it by hand.

    You'll find plenty of tutorials at the XaraXone, both Xara user forums, YouTube and the Xara help file itself regarding use of the shape tool.

    The beauty of creating your own vector drawing is it is resolution independent meaning it can be resized smaller or larger without any loss of quality.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

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    Attached Files Attached Files

  7. #7
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    Mar 2012
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    Richfield, MN
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    Default Re: New to this

    I wasn't getting the trace tool. I must be using it wrong because it wasn't keeping the clarity of the pic. I did a google search and found a video on masking. Used the shape tool (first time mentioned without seeing it was was thinking she meant using a shape - square / circle etc - huh?) but seeing it I understand now - I think.

    Now I have to figure out how to save the thing with the transparent background. Keeps importing with the white after exporting as png.

    I remember a tool in MS Paint about 15 years ago - the lasoo that would shrink to the shape of the object. That was much simpler.

    Still learning. Thanks.
    Last edited by IeMS; 25 March 2012 at 02:38 PM.

  8. #8

    Default Re: New to this

    Xara vector formats are vastly superior to bitmap formats for such work as this. As mentioned, resizing for other purposes is simple in comparison to bitmaps images.

    You need to think vector drawing tools and get use to them. They are powerful and mostly do not correspond to bitmap editor tools.

    Also as mentioned, this type of drawing is faster to simply draw using the vector tools, not tracing.

    Take care, Mike

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Richfield, MN
    Posts
    36

    Default Re: New to this

    Sorry to be so green, but I hear tracing with the shape tool and masking, which did what I wanted (after trying the "trace" tool under utilities which wasn't working), but then I hear to use the vector tools. Favor - please point me to the vector tools then? Is it in the manual? Was that the "trace" tool under utilities? What setting do I use for a simple logo to start off with?

    Also, please tell me how do I save this dern file and keep the transparent background? I export and import and the white background comes back. Help?

    Sorry to be such a novice. I am not used to having the ability to modify my own pics, but have been simply limited to using pics as is.

    Thanks for your time and putting up with the new guy.

    Rob

  10. #10

    Default Re: New to this

    Ok. I think I am understanding what you mean with "tracing." I was assuming you meant the bitmap tracing tool.

    If you need to export a bitmap image of your drawing for use in a website and desire transparency, use PNG format and make sure you select True Color + Alpha in the color depth drop down box like in the screen shot.

    Take care, MikeClick image for larger version. 

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