using the eraser

[Glenn Vatter]

I am a new user of photoshop elements 2.0. I have been trying to use the eraser to erase the background area of a photo and then replace with a solid color. When I use the eraser, I get a black and white checkered pattern. How do i control what the pattern/color is is, and then save the retouched picture?

[Paul L UK]

The black/white checkerboard is transparent, where you can view what's underneath.

Check out <http://www.arraich.com/elements/psE_intro.htm> for some great tutorials.

I am sure there will be loads more replies, but it is still worth a look.

Paul

Edit - couldn't get that link word to work

[BobHill]

Glenn

In order to get the checkerboard background you must have double clicked the background layer to make it into a standard (simplified) layer. Note the color boxes at bottom of tool box. If you click the bottom (background) box and click the proper color, that's what you'll get with the eraser. Once you've made the background layer into a standard layer, you'd have to make a new layer, move it below the image layer, then apply your color to that bottom layer. If you created a new background color to a background layer (original), the eraser acts like a color brush, in that it remains as the image color like a brush if you then make it into a standard layer and add a new layer placed at bottom. The color of the eraser as applied when it was a background remains, so you'd have to apply color wand/delete to now make that area transparent.

Bob

[Beth Haney]

Pete's advice to learn about layers is good, because getting the checkerboard/transparent background is what you're trying to accomplish as the first step. The next step is creating a new layer that contains the color/pattern you want. You get that by having your original image (with its background gone) open on your desktop and then going to Layer>New Fill Layer and choosing a color, pattern, or gradient. Once you have your new layer, make sure your original is on top - then it will show with the new color as the background.