Version 7 is still a good program but once you get used to it you will not even be wanting to use anything but Version 8. Version 8 comes with some tutorials for doing photo compositions and eliminating the background with a mask. It is not hard. It is like using an eraser tool but if you goof you change black to white or vice versa and it is easy to correct. You have more control over how the edge around your object will be feathered. I use both PaintShopPro 8 and Ulead's PhotoImpact. The latter has selection tools that remain completely editable and you can change from mask mode to selection mode and edit the selection in the usual ways as well. With PaintShopPro, you can also draw with your vector tools around the whole object, in this case "baby" and then create a selection from the vector drawing. You will need to add some feathering or your edge will seem pixelated. But if you are comfortable with PSP 7, mask mode will work for you only it works differently to PSP8. With PSP 7 select the whole picture and choose "Masks/New/Show All", then "Masks/Edit", this will change your palette to black and white. Then you can actively delete your background and not actually lose any information your picture has. Best of all with a mask is if your new background is on the layer underneath the "baby", you will also see your new background. It is a tool some are afraid of using but once you learn how powerful this tool is, you will love it.
Every day's a new day, "draw" on what you've learned.
Sally M. Bode
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