Expert: Kevin Stohlmeyer - 9/17/2010

Question
QUESTION: Hi there,

Sorry to bother you, but I had a question that's been urking me for a while.

How to make an elliptical marquee (circle crop) save as a true .jpg...

 I've tried the formula: crop> add layer via copy> delete background> 'save a copy' > select .jpg; but when transferred to Publisher, it comes up as a square.

If you select picture only, you get a messy circle rim.

Please assist,

Many Thanks!!

 Jared Rein

ANSWER: Hi Jared,

Jpg files do not support transparency, so you will always have a square shape when you save. Try saving out as a .png or tif file. They do support transparency.

Thanks

Kevin



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for the fast answer Kevin. I once learned a trick to save as high quality jpg with the alt. keys and layer masks or something...oh well, that was a long time ago...

Nevertheless, if I were to save as tiff and use a conversion program to transform the imae to jpg, would any quality be lost in conversion? Or is tiff just the same size quality as jpg or better as I've heard?

Thanks again,

Jared

Answer
Hi Jared,

Any way you do it, if you save this or transpose this into a jpg, you will have a square crop and a background. Keeping it as a tif is preferred because it is a lossless format and will not give you issues like a jpg.

The quality is determined in the Image size menu depending on your resolution and image size, not by how you are saving it unless you are seriously compressing your jpg images first.


Thanks

Kevin