Drop shadow on object

[Eggles]

I have an image to be used on the front cover of a brochure, which is to be placed on top of another image. I removed the background from the original image and created a clipping path, saved it as a TIF and imported into Pagemaker. So far, so good.

I have been asked to put a drop shadow behind the topmost image, and have no idea how to do it in Photoshop (I have V7). I know how to do it with text - but can't figure out how to do it to a whole object.

I realise it is probably quite simple, but can someone point me in the right direction? Do I need to open a new file with a transparent background and select my object (currently against a white background) and drag and drop it into the new file before I can add a drop shadow?

 

[SPYDERIX]

Hi,

If your object is merged with the white background then you will have to remove the white background using either the magic wand or color range, and then apply your drop shadow the same way you would with text. If it is not merged and is on it's own seperate layer then it is still the same procedure to add a drop shadow on it as it is for text.

Am I understanding you correctly here?

Hope this helps!

NATE
design@spyderix-designz.com

http://www.spyderix-designz.com

 

[Eggles]

The file has only one layer - and the background is white. That's the colour I made it when I removed the original background. So it sounds like I need to make a new file - one with a transparent background to start with, and then select my image and drag and drop onto the new file (as I suspected). I will try it and see if it works.

 

[dactyl]

Another way...
Once you remove the object from the background,
Copy that layer/object. Fill it with black. Put it behind
the original object. Now drop the opacity to whatever
looks good and FreeTransform it to a shape that also
looks good. This way you have Total control of the
shape/position of your shadow.

 

[Eggles]

I have now had a chance to try the first suggestion, and although not using the object I have to do this to (which is at work and I am now at home) I just put a series of coloured shapes together against a white background. I then selected the white background, inversed the selection (which selected the coloured shapes) and then dragged it across to a new blank file with a transparent background. I was then able to apply the drop shadow effect and it worked! Since the shadow can be controlled as to opacity and position, i think i will stick with this method, although I can see the alternative suggestion since my previous post also has merit. To think in my original question, I had almost answered it myself!

The final hurdle will be to select the object AND its shadow, make a work path and then a clipping path (is this a long way round or two necessary steps i.e. can I go directly from a selection to a clipping path? another thing to try on this steep learning curve...) so that both can be placed over the other image without the dreaded white box. Will try it tomorrow at work and let you know how I go.

 

[Eggles]

Well I have now had a chance to put the theory to the test - and discovered that things don't quite work the way I wanted. When I applied a drop shadow to the layer containing the object - it looked great onscreen as a PSD file - but I could NOT select the object AND its shadow. So there was no way I could make a clipping path to bring it into Pagemaker and place it in front of another image.

So I tried the other suggestion - made a completely separate file of the shadow by copying the original object into a new file, selecting it, deleting the object and filling the selection with 60% feathered black. This I was able to select as its own object and make a clipping path and bring into PM and put it behind my original object. So my shadow and object are two separate files, but who cares? It worked. I am not sure if it would have worked any other way.