Deleting background 1

[gsbbr]

I need to delete the background from around a simple object (a clipart .jpg image of the Earth). This has been addressed before on this list, but I've reviewed and tried the various approaches and am still missing it. Every time I use Illustrator's auto-trace tool and the clipping mask, the picture drops out and the background remains. I want to omit the background, or at least make it transparent. I've tried making it transparent, and it looks like it should work but then doesn't.

I'm embarrassed to even post this totally novice question. I have 3 manuals from the library and can't figure out this one thing. I think I'm looking under the wrong index keywords in the manuals and am really lost. What am I doing wrong?

Illustrator 10
Photoshop 7

Thanks for your help.

 

[tomatej]

Once you have a path around an image, make sure that path is on the top of the image.Than you have to select "BOTH!!" image and path and than you make clipping mask (object > clipping mask > make)

Othervise just go to photoshop, make background of your image transparent and go to help > export transparent image... follow the steps and your image will be exported as EPS.
When you place the eps to Illustrator, you have to embed it, dont link it. Thats it
Greetz

...don't take it too seriously

 

[gsbbr]

I've got it now. Thanks, tomatej.