Deleting background

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This one is hard to explain, but here goes. Have created a stylized colored company name in PhotoDraw by using a text box, stretched, and a second text box, with various effects, enlarged, inside the first, i.e. OurCompany – the “our ompany” is the first text box and the “C” is the second. Then I grouped them and fit the background to the text to use the name in Publisher for cards, etc. Here’s the issue: when I place the object on an area, the white background can’t be removed so that just the letters show through. This is only a problem on colored backgrounds, of course. With white, I can get around it by moving text boxes forward/backward in the layers. Is there a way I can get rid of the background so just the letters show? I tried various cropping options and was only frustrating myself! And my past limited experience with this lounge has shown me that this is the place to take frustrations for solutions!

Hopefully,

Linda (IreneLinda)

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Ian – thanks for your quick reply. How do I do that? I tried selecting the background (the box with the green rotate indicator became visible around it), but it would not be made transparent! When I tried to click on it (having selected “transparent”), I kept getting the NO response (the international symbol of the line through a circle). I could select and make the letters transparent, but not the white background. Is there a different way to make it transparent that I don’t know about? I am a very new user of the program.

Linda

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Thanks, Ian. I printed out the pages from the site you referred and have been working with them. Good news: the background became instantly transparent! Not so good news: I can’t seem to get the letters looking as smooth and perfect as they do in PhotoDraw (this has been an issue importing into Publisher with the ‘old’ background, but is much worse with this way). I have tried multiple variations of threshold numbers, as the site suggests, but the letters still look horribly smeared. Right now, my goal is to get the logo and name into Publisher to be used for print material, such as business cards. Will save file to a send to a printer and I am concerned because the edges of our name look so blurred. Do you have any further suggestions or places to look? This must all be due to the fact that I am so new to this program, but am trying to do our own graphic design! Any suggestions gratefully accepted!

Linda

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i don’t think transparent graphics are the solution – gifs are not very smooth, it’s the nature of the beast. Are you printing on colored paper or printing the color with the logo?

If not using colored stock, you’ll get better results using the color for the logo background. Shadows especially are difficult to get looking good on transparent images.

If using colored stock, try it without the shadow.

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Thanks, MaryJ. You’re right about the transparent bit: did discover how (thanks to Ian, another helpful poster) and the letters were sure blurred! What I am trying to do, basically, is get our self-designed (in PhotoDraw) logo and company name looking good; then, self-design business cards, stationery, etc. (in Publisher) using them. Our ultimate goal is to send the final result to a printer to create the print copy.

Our company colors are navy blue, grey and white. The logo and stylized name are navy blue with a grey shadow; the background paper for cards and stationery will be white. Where I think we might get in trouble is when we give the logo and name to the Web designer. Right now the draft Web page background is navy blue; it might end up grey. Would we be better to just try to design the page with a white background where the logo and name will appear? Or can the Web designer and the printer correct this issue for us?

Hope you can shed some more light on this issue for us. Sure appreciate your advice.

Linda

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white backgrounds are generally better, but any web designer who knows anything can make suggestions on how to handle the logo. They can replace the white background with the correct color to match the web page or work with it to make it stand out without looking weird for having a white background. I would concentrate on getting it looking good for the print jobs and let the web designer handle the web end.

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Thank you! Wow!! I’ll try to follow your directions, but am not quite sure if I’m attaching properly. Did check: file is about 86 KB so that’s okay. When I got to the Attach File pane and found my file, I wasn’t quite sure whether to Open my file (only option on the window that opened) or send it to a mail recipient. Maybe I’ll try both and hope one works! If not, please tell me what I should be doing. Here goes … great! “Open” put the file into the box! Hurray!!

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Hi Ian,

Sure appreciate your prompt responses – I’m happy with whatever time frame works for you. I still can’t believe you get back to me as quickly as you do! And I see what you mean about the different types of graphic formats!

Another poster, MaryJ, sent an interesting note yesterday. I thought her idea plus my response to her might provide you with further helpful information.

Meanwhile, I’ll set the logo/name to one side and work on the other publication pieces until you have time to take another look at my “issue”.

Thanks again,

Linda

PS You mentioned Publisher: I couldn’t figure out how to get the effect we were after in that program, but, if you can, that’s great – one less program for me to learn in a hurry (not to mention buy, once this trial is over).

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Ian,

Thank you for your reply, advice and links. Was not panicking as the Web designer had managed to get the PhotoDraw logo onto the Web site and looking fine and I had, I think, worked around the background issue with white stock. At least, it’s working so far: card and stationery have been on hold while we get the Web page finalized. The main thing I’ve picked up from your posts and those of other helpful people is that PhotoDraw is not really the program best suited to what we’re trying to do, and we’d be better to get into Xara or something comparable (have just taken a quick peek at the tutorial and it looks impressive@!). Is Xara like CorelDraw? (not that I have used either program, but have heard of CorelDraw).

Thanks again for your help.

Linda

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i think xara is better than coreldraw, but it got lost in marketing, like so many other good programs.

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MJ,

Sounds as if it’s perhaps easier to use, too. Will try out the free trial and tutorials Ian suggested in his post and make a decision. Thanks for your advice.

Linda

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