Expert: Amy - 7/6/2007

Question
Hi!

I'm trying to cut out a complex picture (berries with leaves) in photoshop and
bring it into illustrator with no (transparent) background. I can cut it out in
photoshop, but when I bring it into illustrator it shows a white box behind it.
(Even if I've created a transparent background in photoshop.) Can you help
me?

I'm using CS2 on a mac, if this helps. Thank you!
Brigid

Answer
Hello Brigid,

If this document will ultimately go to print, you need to create a clipping path (mask) around the berries and leaves in PhotoShop and save the image file as an EPS document with clipping path data.

It's easy, really.

In PhotoShop:
Just use the magic wand to select all the white space you want gone.  
Then Select Inverse.
Then go to Windows > Paths.
In the paths window, select Make work path. Tolerance of 1.0 is usually pretty good. .5 is the minimum. Tolerance is how smooth that new path is going to be.
In the paths window, double click on "work path", give it a new name, and click OK.
Use the flyout menu on the upper right corner of the Paths window and choose Clipping Path.
Select the path you named, leave flatness blank and click OK.
Now save the document as a PhotoShop EPS with an 8-bit preview and binary encoding and you should be able to import it into Illustrator sans background.

Once in there, you should be able to tweak or smooth the anchor points of the clipping path with the white arrow/Direct select tool or any other path editing tool.

Alternatively, you could import the "raw" image into Illustrator, make a copy of it, paste in front, and use the Live Trace feature to create the same clipping path as you made in PhotoShop.

Then select the new path and the original image and choose Object> Clipping Mask> Make.

If this is a little complicated, I can help you along the way. I always make my clipping paths in PhotoShop (old habits die hard.)

Let me know,
Amy Pace