Quick Question Regarding Photoshop Sigmaking

[)V(-=Vaelaar=-]

I'm not quite sure that this is the correct place to be asking this, since it's both a help thread and a signature thread. That being the case, feel free to move it accordingly.

The question: In Photoshop, when I attempt to trim down an image (typically JPEG) that I want to insert onto a pre-made background, there's always a few pixels left near the edges of the image that are a colour very close to white. On top of this, the image is part of a box that usually has white space left in it after I erase what I want to. Thusly, when I take the image and put it onto my background under the color channel, the white part of the box shows whereas most of the sigs today don't even have such a thing. If I try to blend down white, there's always those few close-to-white pixels near the edge of my image that remain visible. From what I've seen on all of your sigs, it looks as if just your image is involved and the rest of the box in which you edited the image is transparent. Is there an easy way to accomplish this? Perhaps a tutorial that I missed after reading through almost all of the sites on the tutorial thread? Any and all help is much appreciated.

 

[L]

Uh.. Post a few screen caps and I'll be sure to help, Having a hard time understanding you :S lol

 

[)V(-=Vaelaar=-]

Well, as you can probably see from my sig, I found one way to get the job done. Used the background eraser tool and got as close to the image as I could. Was especially hard to get in between certain parts of the glasses hair but it was doable. Just wanted to know if there was another way, perhaps easier, to do the same thing.

In case you were confused by my last post, I just meant that in attempting to clean up the areas around an image, a few little pixels would remain near the very edges of the picture. In this case along the edge of his face or in between and along the hair. I was using the regular eraser at the time which meant that I couldn't really see these pixels because they were so close to white that I couldn't tell them apart but they'd show up when I tried to blend the image. Just asking if you know how to cut complex (or simple) images really close. Do you use the background eraser? The regular eraser? Just curious. Thanks.

Edit: Rather than making a new topic for this, any crits and/or comments regarding my sig would be appreciated. It's my first and I really don't know anything about Photoshop, having just got it recently. The background is a combination of clouds in different layers and the grass brush to give the effect of a misty field. The image gave me some trouble, as mentioned above but seems to have come out alright.

 

[L]

I made a .GIF image to help you with using the polygonal lasso tool lol,
The Polygonal tools can cut complex and simple shapes, I cut it out slopply,

the sig looks alright, for a first timer.. Keep practicing..
*EDIT*
Your sig changed after I posted (Am I that slow?! lol) The Gaara sig looks better, And with the border too..7/10

 

[)V(-=Vaelaar=-]

Yeah I just played with borders and based on the colour I chose, I knew it would be excellent for a Gaara sig. Thanks for the crits, they're much appreciated, as this is only my second sig and second try with Photoshop CS.

Don't worry, you're not slow. =p I just changed the sig about ten seconds ago. Thanks again.

Edit: Hah, I keep wanting to put more stuff into this thing... I thought it was a little empty with only the right eye in the corner so I copied and flipped another to fill up that space.

 

[Guru_San]

wow thats pretty decent for your second sig! Cant wait till your class a at Photoshop.. never no... could have a good artist round these boards one day eh! ^^

-SaN

 

[L]

Oh , And can you please tell me what the code is to do those cool text effects??

 

[PiXel]

er.. its easy.. set on the font a stroke with a size of 1 px ^^

 

[)V(-=Vaelaar=-]

It's 2px Stroke TryForce, 2. =]

Thanks for the feedback guys, much appreciated.

Fatal Cobra: I basically fooled around with the Stroke option, using the eyedropper to select a colour that was nice and dark to coincide with the opaque picture of Gaara. The initial text was black inside, but I fooled around with a few other options like inner glow/shadow in order to get it off-white. Basically just experimentation that managed to come out the way I wanted it.

I think I'll keep playing with it some more in the hopes of perfecting it... or at least making it a little cooler. =]

Edit: Added a textured border instead of the plain smooth one. I did it just to see what it looks like but it actually fits with the cracked armour on Gaara's face so I implemented it. Let me know what you think.

 

[L]

Uh you guys still didnt answer my question, I asked for the code, And I dont even know how or where to put the code at..

 

[)V(-=Vaelaar=-]

Definitely don't know what the 'code' is. Otherwise I would have answered your question. =D

 

[L]

uh can you just CTRL+C the text in your signature, But put dots in it like .t.h.i.s. or somthing?! thx

 

[)V(-=Vaelaar=-]

Hahaha!

All this time I, and apparently everyone else, thought you were talking about the text in my actual Photoshop sig! I'm assuming you mean the shadowed text below my sig. It's a black glow on white text, I'll send you the code in a PM.

Hah. :laff: