Can you save a photo with an irregular shape crop instead of the typical rectangle?

Say I have a person that I want completely isolated when I save the picture... as in no box of empty space surrounding the person, the picture dimensions are only determined by the dimensions of the person. Is this possible to save it as a jpg in PS Elements 6? I can't figure it out, but it has to be possible as icons and the sort are like it.

Basically I want to do this so it behaves like an icon... instead of having the white space part of the picture obscuring objects behind it with hard walls, I want just the person isolated so that when it's placed on a background image (say, as a jpg on a website background), the background flows naturally into and behind the object instead of abruptly hitting the edges of the crop.

I'm not asking about using a selection tool and layering it over a background, more of: can that selection itself be the only thing saved, just its outline sans the outline that comes from working within a given canvas size.

I'll hastily try to illustrate what I'm looking for:

What I don't want (a box outline):

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Byte size: ZERO | PHOTOBUCKET ERROR IMAGE

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Byte size: ZERO | PHOTOBUCKET ERROR IMAGE

save it as a photoshop file .psd for your backup

and with a little luck you should be able to save it as a .gif for your icon

Thanks for response, super quick, but I need it as jpeg... I have a feeling this isn't possible

Hi Badger, where do you intend to use this photo? On a website? Print?

yeah, I would like to know if this is possible too.

If you have taken the time to isolate the figure, cut it out and paste it into a new document with a transparent background. Then save this as a PNG, or other format that supports transparency and there you have it. The alpha channel is a grayscale image that keeps track of the transparency of the image. JPEG does not support transparency. If you need it as a JPEG, make the background color of the image the same as the background into which it will be inserted and the image will appear to seamlessly blend.

There are ways to do this sort of thing, but not in the way you're talking about. Tell us more about what you're trying to achieve and how the image will be used, and the file formats involved.

Wow thank you so much everyone for the ridiculously fast responses.

I'll come clean and nerdy and show you the problem... you're going to think I'm putting wayyyy too much time and effort into this:

This is the typical facebook pic:

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Byte size: ZERO | PHOTOBUCKET ERROR IMAGE

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Byte size: ZERO | PHOTOBUCKET ERROR IMAGE

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Byte size: ZERO | PHOTOBUCKET ERROR IMAGE

LOL!

Welcome, nerd. You are among friends.

I'm reading up on PNG and transparency channels right now via google... you wouldn't happen to have any quick cheat guides?

Alright, I've been reading for the last 2 hours on how to do png and alpha channel transparency. From what I gathered, it looks like it's either not possible or not easy to do with PSE6 as it lacks options regarding the alpha channel (correct?). I tried it using just my selection layer, saving for web and then using PNG 24 with transparency enabled, but I still have the white surroundings.

So I went ahead and followed some tutorials using the GIMP and it still doesnt look like I'm getting it right, I still have white backgrounds as well. The last tutorial I looked at was this one http://mcapewell.wordp​ress.com …age-for-ie-6-in-the-gimp/

EDIT: I'm actually closer than I thought I was:

Attached is one of the last PNGs by itself on the left, and by itself it looks correct. However, on the right is what that same file did when uploaded to FB... any ideas why it would go black? I don't mind the white specks since the background is white, but the black is the only thing off now.

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HAHAHAHAHAHAH ALL THIS TROUBLE FOR FACEBOOK!!!!!

I need to friend you just to laugh and write on your wall!

I don't know much about PNG files, but my guess would be to isolate the subject, and then match it to the same color of the facbook page. It seems like trying to match that line is going to be a lot of trial and error. Best of luck and keep us posted.

edit: maybe you can match up the line by copying the profile screen on your computer, and then fitting your image into the designated area.

Caspita wrote in post #5846796
edit: maybe you can match up the line by copying the profile screen on your computer, and then fitting your image into the designated area.

I would imagine that's exactly what the OP tried to do in the first place.

To the OP - you have waaaaay tooooo much time on your hands!

TJ

How about a gif file with a transparency? Would that work?

I concede... all of the images (GIF and PNG) that have the transparency working correctly when I upload them here do not work with Facebook... FB just turns the transparent part completely black, as in my previous post.

What started as a study break turned into quite the lesson on PNG and GIF, so at least I can take something away