removing coloured background

[colin]

Hi
I wondered is there a clean and effective way of removing a selected coloured area from an image (a jpeg in this instance) without affecting other parts of the image. I've added a sample to illustrate what I mean.
I,ve tried the select color/ erase tool but find that it select the white from all parts of the picture, even from other colours.
The picture is too complex for the freehand mask tool and time consuming.
Is there another way, or even a plug in that any body could vouch for?
Many thanks, Colin

[angelize]

There are a couple of options first you can use any tool on the mask and it would be easier to use the shape tool to mask this image. However if you are going to use the shape tool I think rather than masking and colour/select erase I would just trace around it with the shape tool and create a vector masking shape over the image and intersect. (ctrl +3)

The second method would be to use the colour select/erase as you did and draw some white shapes under the portions you want to remain white. If you have DPX the shape builder is great for this!

[colin]

Thanks Angelize
I find the second method more suitable to my ends and I hadn't previously realised the potential of the shape builder; very impressive.
Thanks again, Colin

[Soquili]

Hi Colin,

Xara Designer Pro can do some great bitmap effects. However, a bitmap editor can do some things quicker like dropping out a colored background.

[gwpriester]

You're going to have a lot of trouble with the Select/Erase Toll because your cartoon has too much white and light values. These are going to drop out as well.

Select/Erase works best when there is a generous amount of separation between the background color or colors and the shapes you wish to maintain.

[colin]

How do I go about getting a Bitmap Editor? Xara Help is quite sketchy on the subject.
It does state however "When a bitmap is selected, this opens the Bitmap Editor. In the Program Options ("Utilities -> Options -> Effects & Plug-ins Tab") you can also choose the enclosed MAGIX Photo Designer 7 or any other program for bitmap editing" When it says "any other program" does that include Corel PhotoPaint or Serif PhotoPlus, for instance? Or are we only talking about Adobe plug ins?
All the best, Colin

[Soquili]

Colin a 3rd party bitmap editor that supports a "Magic Wand" tool would be quickest to select the background color and remove it. I use Adobe Photoshop, or Corel (or Jasc) PaintShop Pro, or PhotoPaint. If Serif PhotoPlus has a Magic Wand tool it should also work.

No we are not talking about any type of plug in, only a full blown bitmap editor is my recommendation.

[handrawn]

here's a free one with a magic wand:
http://www.artweaver.de/products-en/artweaver-free/

there is also gimp [where 'magic wand' is called 'fuzzy selection'] - over all its a lot more powerful, but if you are not used to linux style UI it's interface takes some getting used to
www.gimp.org

[handrawn]

the voice over my shoulder has just pointed out that the latest gimp [2.8] has moved to a single window interface - so that should help .. assuming its carried over to the windows installer

[colin]

Thank you both.
I'm used to using the magic wand in CD, and the cutout studio in Serif (limited).
In a sense I've been using them as bitmap editors already - by cutting and pasting between programs but with limited success, especially where CD is involved and I invariable have to bring the image back by exporting as a PNG, if transparency is involved.
Is that what you mean by 3rd party Bitmap Editing? or would setting PhotoPaint or PhotoPlus as Bitmap Editor in XPX affiliate the programs more closely?
How do I physically set up an editor. I've got as far as Options/ Photo Editing /Edit bitmaps with this program / Browse / Windows 7 / Program files, but sure where to go from there.
As always,Many thanks, Colin