The earlier tutorial I did on cutting out backgrounds was written for Paint Shop Pro version 7.

I have since received a few emails from people who were having trouble following the tutorial. More specifically, they were following the steps but not getting the expected results.

In looking into their questions, I discovered they were using either Paint Shop Pro version 8 or 9. It seems, at least in version 9, that the process I explained needs to be modified somewhat.

I don't happen to have PSP version 8, but I do have version 9. I am taking a guess here that there is no major difference between the 2, at least with respect to this method of cutting out backgrounds.

For comparitive purposes, I'll show the finished product from the version 7 tutorial, side by side with a finished product from version 9 below.

PSP 7 version                                                      PSP 9 version

As you can see, the results are the same, though the method is slightly different.

So without further ado, let's look at the PSP version 9 method of cutting out backgrounds.

We will start with the same image.

From the menu bar, select Layers/New Mask Layer/Show All

If this box appears,

just click OK.

Now open your Layers palette. Mine is set to open by pressing the F-8 keys. Yours might be different.

You'll notice the first tab is named Group Raster 1. Below that are 2 more tabs named Mask Raster 1 and Raster 1. If you place your mouse on the Mask Raster 1 tab a white thumbnail image will appear. As the name implies, thats the mask.

Placing your mouse on the Raster 1 tab displays a thumbnail image of our picture.

Now look at the pane on the right side of the Layer palette. You will notice a little "smiley" face on the right of the Mask Raster 1 tab. This is the mask toggle overlay control. When it is red

the overlay is toggled to On.

But wait, I have mine toggled on, but I don't see a red overlay.

Beleive me, it's there......

You will also notice that your colors palette

has also changed to display the 255 color palette.

Now, here is where the method of cutting out the background changes from my earlier version.

In that version, you would use your paint brush to remove the red overlay from that portion of the image you wanted to keep.

In this newer method, you use the paint brush to remove the portion of the image you want to get rid of as shown here

Theres the red overlay, only it is under the image, not on top.

By toggling off the mask overlay control, this is what you would see

To being with I used these settings

and zoomed in about 400% to do the outline.

Than I increased the brush size and removed the excess background.

Now that the background is gone, you simply go to the menu bar and select Selections/From Mask and the marching ants should appear.

Open your Layer paletter and make sure the Raster 1 tab is selected

I hope this clears up any confusion on why you might not be getting the same results as my earlier tutorial said you should be getting.

As always, please feel free to Comment  on any aspect of this tutorial.