Hi PSCers, my husband has asked me to work up some product images for a website that someone is helping him build. The products were photographed on a grey background, and he wants them made into images without background (tranparent background). My understanding is that I need to create a path (pen tool) surrounding object - then specify that this is a clipping path. Then I need to save with a specific format - what format for web? and what kind of file size?
Thanks, Evelyn

.gif format

thanks Wes.

.png does a better job, but bigger file size
heres a video tut'
http://www.hallcross.co.uk/free%20stuff/ps_tuts.html#TRANSPARENT

indeed .png is better for that, but it is not supported by all browsers unless you use a special script for it, but it is very easy to apply

yep, .png

it really depends on what the background is like .

if the images are displayed on a busy pattern backdrop you will be forced to use a .png for transparecy

otherwise

use a .gif and make sure the background colour matches.

But also make sure your optimisation options don't interfere with the final background colour and details.

I believe Marx is right, getting a clean transparent background is tricky. Might be better off matching the background color.

PNG is definetley the way to go.
Yes file size is much larger than gif however there are different levels of PNG compression.

You have to ask what is more important:

File Size // Transparency

- If it's file size go with a web optimized jpeg at 95% quality with the background matching


- If it's transparency go with a PNG 24 compression

Hope that helps_

bx out!

Thanks all for your advice! Great to have you all as a resource! I will need to have some more information from the fellow that is creating the website re:background (transparent vs match) and size considerations. I don't know if a background color has been chosen. Meanwhile what you all have told me will help me get started, and will help me ask the right questions.