Grey panels around small new images.

[Jimmy Vickery]

I am using Photoshop 7. When I create a new image, for example a web banner, I don't get a totally white background, instead a portion of the top of the image and a portion of the bottom of the image has grey panels.

At first I thought this was normal. However, I just did a tutorial on the web that had screen captures that it displayed so that you would understand exactly what settings to use. In this tutorial I was to create a 10x10 pixel transparent image. When I did I had a small little square. No, not a 10x10 square but one small white square. It was white because of the entire transparent checkerboard pattern, the image was only big enough to view one of all of the squares in the checkerboard display. The rest of the image was surrounded by a grey panel. What is this problem I am having? What can I do to fix this. I have already tried setting the dpi on different levels it didn't change anything. The smaller the image is, the lareger the grey panels are. Please help.

[Colin Walls]

If I am not mistaken, the grey part is not part of your image at all.
Try this:
1) create a new small image - say 100px square
2) type CTRL/0
3) no grey "Border"?
4) type CTRL/- a few times
5) grey border now?
6) go to Edit/Preferences/General and check Keyboard Zoom resizes Windows
7) repeat (2)-(4) above
8) OK now?

[Jimmy Vickery]

No, this did't solve the problem. It just made my new image really HUGE. If I have a large image I don't get the grey panels. Only with the small images. When I tried your suggestion it made my image real HUGE; however, when it enlarged it the grey panels went away. However, I need the image to be small for the projects that I am working on. :)

[Colin Walls]

Are you able to post such an image [the .PSD file] on the Web somewhere so that we can look at it?
Failing that, you could email it to me [click on my name above to find the address].

[dave milbut]

with the zoom tool selected and an image open make sure you have "resize window to fit" checked in the option bar. i think you're seeing the matte space around the image, not part of the image itself.

[Jimmy Vickery]

OK, the zoom tool isn't doing the job. It makes it way too large. They grey panels are gone when I use that tool, however, the image exceeds the size restrictions. I can not have the project that large. Also, matte space is a perfect discription of what I am seeing. It reminded me of the matting that you see around framed art prints.

[Phosphor]

Sounds like you're just seeing the standard gray apron around the imaging area.

[Jimmy Vickery]

Dave Milbut,
I didn't know that. Will it save the image with the grey panels still in place? I saved it as a jpg. to test it. On my Windows XP image viewer, what ever it is called, I don't see the grey panels. However, when I open it in Photoshop the grey panels are still there. Also, why are they present to begin with?

[Jimmy Vickery]

Ok, I just found a way to test it and no the grey panels don't show up. I was worried that if it I could display it on the web it would also display the grey panels. However, why have that as a standard feature? I would have thought the matte/apron would be hidden by default.

[dave milbut]

Will it save the image with the grey panels still in place?




nope. that's just the border (matte) in ps. not part of your image.

However, why have that as a standard feature?




because sometimes you need to work at the edge of an image and that makes it easier to see the very last pixels on in the image.

you can change that color too. select the paint bucket and shift-click in the gray area to make it whatever color you want. if you ever need to set it back the default settings are 192/192/192 (red/green/blue).

[Jimmy Vickery]

Ok, I guess that settles it. The zoom tool worked perfectly on the 10x10 image. However, with the web banner it goes from normal to HUGE. I tested it while creating a web banner on the HUGE zoom setting, and there were no problems when I returned it to the original magnification.

Colin,
I agree that is very strange. The 10x10 cooperated perfectly. The web banner, well you saw it with your own eyes. :)

[Colin Walls]

Phos

JV is suffering here from needing a little more grounding [as you advised - isn't it wonderful: the day when all the PPI/DPI stuff suddenly becomes clear ...] and he found what appears to be a buglet in PS, which confused him further.