# Need Photoshop advice please
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-photoshop-advice-please/618891
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [April 15, 2012, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-photoshop-advice-please/618891 "2012-04-15T22:18:45Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2012, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-photoshop-advice-please/618891/1 "2012-04-15T22:18:45Z")
I want to have a photo of a guy printed onto a T-shirt. The thing is, I just want his body transferred onto the shirt, minus any background that is in the photo.
So, I opened the image in Photoshop, used the pen tool to roughly select the area around the body, then cut the selected area out. So far, so good. Next, I used the eraser tool to carefully erase any remnants of background from the image.
So, what I have now is the guy against a plain black background. If I convert that to a JPG, the black background will still be there. Don’t want that, just want the guy with no background at all.
I’ve obviously missed a step in the process. How do I get rid of the black rectangle background and leave just my guy as my image?
Thanks a lot,
mmm
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### Author:  [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2012, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-photoshop-advice-please/618891/2 "2012-04-15T22:28:00Z")
Set your background to white, before you erase.
If you want NO background, you can set that instead, but jpg doesn’t support transparency (I think Jpeg 2000 does, though).
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### Author:  [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2012, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-photoshop-advice-please/618891/3 "2012-04-15T22:48:32Z")
I have already erased; I guess I have to do it over?
And wouldn’t that just give me a white instead of a black background?
Also, what _does_ support transparency (other than JPEG 2000)?
Thanks,
mmm
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### Author:  [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2012, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-photoshop-advice-please/618891/4 "2012-04-15T22:53:25Z")
In order to have a transparent background, you have to save as a PSD.
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### Author:  [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2012, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-photoshop-advice-please/618891/5 "2012-04-15T22:54:33Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#):
>
> In order to have a transparent background, you have to save as a PSD.
GIFs (ugh!) also support transparency.
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### Author:  [@VernWinterbottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VernWinterbottom)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2012, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-photoshop-advice-please/618891/6 "2012-04-15T23:03:44Z")
NO NEED TO ERASE AGAIN.
Duplicate the layer. On the duplicate layer use the magic wand tool to select your black background. Clear the selected background. (Trash the bottom layer) you should now have your image on a transparent background.
Save as a file (listed above) that supports transparency.
CafePress has very clear instructions on how to do this from scratch on Photoshop in order to print images on dark backgrounds.
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### Author:  [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2012, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-photoshop-advice-please/618891/7 "2012-04-15T23:20:25Z")
> [@VernWinterbottom](#):
>
> NO NEED TO ERASE AGAIN.
>
> Duplicate the layer. On the duplicate layer use the magic wand tool to select your black background. Clear the selected background. (Trash the bottom layer) you should now have your image on a transparent background.
>
> **Save as a file (listed above) that supports transparency.**
>
> CafePress has very clear instructions on how to do this from scratch on Photoshop in order to print images on dark backgrounds.
The emphasized part is the important thing.
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### Author:  [@PeriDoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PeriDoe)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2012, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-photoshop-advice-please/618891/8 "2012-04-15T23:40:59Z")
PSD is the best option, if your print shop accepts it. Next best would probably be PNG. I wouldn’t use GIF for a photo–they are meant for logos and graphics with only a few colors. 🙂
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### Author:  [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2012, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-photoshop-advice-please/618891/9 "2012-04-16T00:36:24Z")
> [@VernWinterbottom](#):
>
> CafePress has very clear instructions on how to do this from scratch on Photoshop in order to print images on dark backgrounds.
Seconding this.
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### Author:  [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2012, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-photoshop-advice-please/618891/10 "2012-04-16T01:31:23Z")
What method is being used to reproduce the image on the shirt? Heat transfer? Silk screen? Etc. I only ask, because silk screening would require color separations, and half-toning or at least posterizing.
Also, is the shirt white, black, or another color?
ETA: If it’s cafe press, nvmd, just follow their directions noted above.
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### Author:  [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2012, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-photoshop-advice-please/618891/11 "2012-04-16T09:40:41Z")
> [@cmyk](#):
>
> What method is being used to reproduce the image on the shirt? Heat transfer? Silk screen? Etc. I only ask, because silk screening would require color separations, and half-toning or at least posterizing.
>
> Also, is the shirt white, black, or another color?
>
> ETA: If it’s cafe press, nvmd, just follow their directions noted above.
Honestly, I dunno. I’m having a hard enough time finding a vendor that will sell just one custom-designed shirt in a tall size.
I will investigate further.
mmm