transparent backround in photoshop

i was wondering how to make a backround in photoshop 5 transparent so i can copy and paste it as an icon and it doesnt have a white square around it.

come on somebodies got to know.
are you not answering because its an extremly stupid question?

CaptainMack said:

come on somebodies got to know.
are you not answering because its an extremly stupid question?

Click to expand...

Need more info.

You can make a GIF with a transparent background or a PNG file but JPEGs and TIFFs can't. Not sure if the place you want to use the graphic can display with transparency.

Jerry

ok. i am trying to make an icon for my desktop. i know they can be transparent. what format should i put the icon in and what should i do to make the backround transparent.

Captainmac, my buddy is real advanced in photoshop and makes graphics all the time with transparent backgrounds. When he gets home from work I'll ask him how to do it and post on here for you.

former did you eve ask your buddy?

ummm....I don't know about photoshop 5, but in seven you can make a work path around your image, save the path, then go under path options and choose create clipping path. Then you should be good when you save it. (I usually save as an eps, but tiff or jpeg should work..I guess..maybe..) let me know what happens....or if this was even what you were thinking of at all...

Doesn't it work if you choose the magic wand, select the white background and press delete? Or have you done that already? How are you doing it at the moment? Just a plain copy paste?

You need to start with a transparent background. Select FILE > NEW then select Transparent for the background. Then copy and past the part of the image you made that you want visable into the new file. As long as the background is that checkerboard, when you save it as a GIF, it will remain transparent. If your current graphic was created with a colored background, you cannot convert it to transparent as far as I have found.

Jerry

i have been just copying and pasting because i dont know of another way to make it as an icon. the way i am doing it is going to get info and then pasteing my image in it.
tylermoney i dont really know what you are talking about. i am a newbie to photoshop. once i get better i will buy ps 7.

If you do what GLJones has said, it should work.

ok how do i put that gif as the icon. the only way i know how to is to copt and paste it.

was surfing the net today and found this..it might help you out a bit it walks threw the trasparent options and steps...good lil guide http://www.macdevcenter.com/pub/a/mac/2001/05/24/aqua_design.html