How would you do this "star burst" tutorial but have transparent backgrounds when you're finished

I haven't read the tutorial, but this should work.

Turn off the background layer

Select all the layers > right click > and make into a Smart object.

Ctrl (Cmd) click the Smart Object's icon to load it as a selection, and add a layer mask.

The background will become transparent.

Hi tudor,

Try this: hide the gradient layer for now. Now make a new layer and put it over the text stuff. Set the blending mode to something like color dodge or something like that. You can scroll through them until it looks right, and then it might work to delete the backgrou layer. This makes it so that you're working off of a normal layer with blending modes instead of bothering with adjustment layers (don't get me wrong, adjustment layers are truly magical things, but sometimes their magic can backfire in a case like this ) If you're still having the same problem, try alt-clicking right between the two layers. This will make the gradient a clipping mask of the text, which is pretty much a layer mask in the exact shape of the text layer. Should work. If you don't understand (I don't know how to explain this very well haha), this link should show you the alt-click thing: http://www.shutterstock.com/blog/2010/04/using-a-clipping-mask-in-photoshop-fast-and-easy/

Happy Photoshopping!

With just the burst showing, ctrl-click on that layer's icon to load it into a selection.  Create a new layer and fill it with white using the selection.  This works far better than trying to create a mask, as the layer is pure white with no fringing.  You can put this over any bg.

You're, right, ctrl click on the the RGB channel.  That will give you the selection you need.

csuebele wrote:

 

You're, right, ctrl click on the the RGB channel.  That will give you the selection you need.

Great idea.  It was worth getting up today just to learn that tip.

I use this A LOT!!!  Here's an example for sun rays.

It's a nice tutorial, but have a hunt round for a brush set called Sparkle_N.abr or it might be called 'Stars & Sparkles'.  The set contains a sharp starburst very like the effect in the tutorial.  I like brushes because they are so quick and versatile, and just about any subject you can think of is covered by an existing brush set.  Or if not, it is so easy to create your own.

Very nice graphics Jack.  Yours?

Yes, that's mine.

Don't be fooled by the ant lines.  They really don't tell you what is selected.  You don't want the entire layer selected!  If the white area is weak. you can duplicate the layer and apply screen mode to the layer on top to brighten it.  You should only have to ctrl-click once on the channel to get your selection.  Once you have your slection and are ready to fill the blank layer, you can fill it several times to build up the density or duplicate the layer a couple time to build up the density.  Yes, you'll need a black background or some other bg when you're done.

Have you tried diferent Blend modes?  Lighten would show the flames, but none of the black, so it would depend what lies under the graphic as to what will and won't show.  But other Blend modes in the Lighten group might work as well.

I think the marching Ants indicate =>50% selection.  If you use one of the selection methods above, you can use the Mask Properties panel to fine tune the Layer mask, which I would expect to enable you to achieve a pretty good efect minus the black fringe.  Without reading the tutorial, I would also expect to 'adapt' it to have a non-black fringe.  These things are just guides afterall, and you should try to think about how they work, and what each step is doing.  That builds your PS skills and you'l be a PS master before you know it.

Yes, Trevor is correct about the antlines.  They are only an average of the selection.  There are lots of ways to create burst effects like this.  You could smooth out the jagged lines with a slight radial blur.  The only problem with it is that you either have to have what you want to blur perfectly centered in you document, or attempt to guess where the center is in the very small dialog box.  With the above image, I use the angle gradient tool set to noise.  This give a wild multcolored gradient, which I then converted to B&W, adjusted the contrast, put in screen mode, and manually masked the areas I wanted.

csuebele wrote:

 

Yes, Trevor is correct about the antlines.  They are only an average of the selection.  There are lots of ways to create burst effects like this.  You could smooth out the jagged lines with a slight radial blur.  The only problem with it is that you either have to have what you want to blur perfectly centered in you document, or attempt to guess where the center is in the very small dialog box.  With the above image, I use the angle gradient tool set to noise.  This give a wild multcolored gradient, which I then converted to B&W, adjusted the contrast, put in screen mode, and manually masked the areas I wanted.

Jack you have some great workflow ideas.  Using the gradient tool that way was new to me, but what a great tool to have in your virtual Photoshop toolbox.  I had to hunt for how to set the Angle gradient to noise, but these two links did the trick for me:

http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2010/07/exploring-photoshop%E2%80%99s-angle-gradient-tool/

http://help.adobe.com/en_US/photoshop/cs/using/WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-77e1a.h tml

(Click on create noise gradients or scroll to the bottom of the screen).

Thanks, Trevor and Tudor.  Glad I could be of help.