How to remove white space around an image

[Jimbob1208]

Hi Guys,

I am sure this is a really simple thing to do and I thought that saving the image as a PNG was the answer.

I am trying to customise the folder icons in the dock on my iMac as show in the image below. However, as you can see I get white space around the edges and I thought that saving it as a PNG would avoid this.

Can anyone advise what I need to do.

 

[ALB68]

Put the image on a layer (not as the locked background layer). Then add a transparent layer behind it. Select the white in the upper layer and delete it (Edit/Clear). Now save it as a Png and it should no longer show as white. You will need to merge down to one layer to save I think,

 

[Paul]

Could go rectangular marquee tool refine edges layer by cut maybe?

 

[ibclare]

If it just the square shape, use any selection tool: marquee, polygonal lasso, pen tool. If it's one of the more complicated shapes, use the pen tool. My advice.

 

[ALB68]

By far the easiest selection tool to use for this is the infamous Magic Wand. You would put a check in the Contiguous box and individually select the white sections you want to remove,otherwise the wand will select ALL of the white in the image. You will want to click the Add to Selection icons over to the left also. (you can also hold down Shift and add to your selection)

 

[ibclare]

Yep Larry. My personal favorite is w shortcut for quick select, hidden under majic wand. I can control this more easily. But each tool to its user I say.

 

[dv8_fx]

It's true you have to remove whatever background color there is. But shouldn't it also be saved (or is it converted?) as a desktop icon of sorts (not only in gif or png...)? This means you need an icon editor....

 

[ALB68]

Actually Clare the W shortcut works for either the Magic Wand or the Quick Select, contingent upon which you have activated last.
There is also the Background Eraser tool that would work with this task.
I use the Magic Wand a lot. I do basic color t-shirt designs for a screen printer and use the MW to do my separations. MW selects all of a chosen color in a design, then that selection is saved as a new alpha channel. Do one for every color and then print each channel with registration marks. The printing is all solid black on transparency. The black blocks light from coming through the screen emulsion and the places where light does not affect them stay soft. Then they take water and wash out the soft part and they have now "burned" one screen as they say. They have to "burn" one for every color of ink being used.

Yep Larry. My personal favorite is w shortcut for quick select, hidden under majic wand. I can control this more easily. But each tool to its user I say.