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Removing background "clutter" from a photograph


Mimi68

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I'm new to this forum, so hopefully someone can assist.  

 

I want to remove background from the attached photo, but the suggestion made doesn't seem to apply -- I'm directed to the "effects" tab and from there to navigate to the "transparency" folder.   Doesn't exist in this version of Paint.net.  Neither can I find "Color Alpha" which is referred to in multiple posts.   

 

Any assistance will be greatly welcomed!   

 

Thank you,

 

Mimi68

post-143420-0-61289300-1445880702_thumb.

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Hi Mimi and Welcome.

 

Transparency and Color Alpha are Plugins which need to be downloaded and added to the Effects folder in Paint.net.  There are a number of ways you can do what you ask.  Have a look at the Color Alpha tutorial and here is another way as well.

30b8T8B.gif

How I made Jennifer & Halle in Paint.net

My Gallery | My Deviant Art

"Rescuing one animal may not change the world, but for that animal their world is changed forever!" anon.

 
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Hello Mimi,

 

I wanted to try a new effect (Replace Color) with your picture and this is what I got. First I just took the laso tool to select as much as the unwanted background and deleted it. Then I used the Replace color effect eight or nine times using different colors that were still around the tree. I played with the tolerance as well.

redtree-4d38c34.png

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Beautiful!   

 

I've downloaded your Replace Color.zip file, but when I extract, which Paint.net folder to I save or copy them to?  

 

Thanks for taking the time to share your expertise!  I'm new to photo editing (other than re-sizing photos with the Windows Paint application,  and using the editing tool that comes with Windows 10), so I'll take all the help I can get!  

 

Mimi 

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Beautiful!   

 

I've downloaded your Replace Color.zip file, but when I extract, which Paint.net folder to I save or copy them to?  

 

Thanks for taking the time to share your expertise!  I'm new to photo editing (other than re-sizing photos with the Windows Paint application,  and using the editing tool that comes with Windows 10), so I'll take all the help I can get!  

 

Mimi 

 

This thread can show you how to install, and if you have problems with it, post your questions there.  Good luck! :)

 

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Mimi, I am not an expert... just a user. The experts are those that make the effects. Cheers to them. :)

 

On your C: drive look for:   Program Files > Paint.NET > effects this is where most effects (dll files) have to be placed.

 

As suggested by Pixie, Color to alpha works great too. 

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Above replies and suggestions/instructions are all excellent, so I'll attribute user error to not being able to successfully edit my photo in the way I'd like.  

 

Using Pixey's tutorial, all is well until I get to the "Magic Wand" Hit Cntrl I to invert -- nothing happens - my layer remains blank.    

 

What could I be doing wrong??    

 

Sadly,

 

Mimi

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Hi Mimi - I assume you are using the tutorial by ConfuzzledManic?

 

When you have surrounded your image with a solid outline and then use Ctrl I to invert, you won't see anything ....... until you then switch to the other layer and hit delete.  Then the background should disappear :lightning: .

 

EDIT:  Oh .... I forgot to say also, what may have happened is that your line may have spaces in it.  The magic wand won't work unless the lines are all solid. Once you use Ctrl and I, everything should be selected - then hit delete on the original image layer.

Edited by Pixey

30b8T8B.gif

How I made Jennifer & Halle in Paint.net

My Gallery | My Deviant Art

"Rescuing one animal may not change the world, but for that animal their world is changed forever!" anon.

 
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