Regarding using the eraser tool in Adobe Photoshop 7....?

Question

How does one use the soft eraser feature with Adobe Photo 7?

I moved an object I was working with to a solid background and made it part of the whole background. I then gave it a Gaussian Blur but could not figure out how to use the eraser tool to take the blur off the object itself. I tried using Adobe's help feature but didn't find it helpful.

Any tips on how I can do this?

I want the blur on the whole but I want to erase the Gaussian Blur only over the imported object and not the rest of the picture. I also don't want the eraser to damage the imported picture.

Answer 1

Sounds to me like you're having a Layers problem.

Did you add the element as a new layer? If so, you have total controllability of each separate layer. Just be sure you've selected the layer you want to work on.

Concerning control of the eraser: You can modify it by changing the Diameter and Hardness, and also change its opacity or flow.

It's hard to know without seeing the image you're working on. Gaussian blur should only work on the layer that's active.

From reading your quetion, I think the key may be when you said: " ... made it part of the whole background ..." to me, that means you flatten it. Am I right?

I'd be happy to look at it for you if you can send it to my site.

[e-mail]

Answer 2

I don't entirely get what you want to achieve...you can clarify it if possible but here is what I would do...

you need to use the layers feature.
select the layer you want to blur, and then add the gausian blur. The thing you added will not be blured. Is this what you wanted?


also you can:
select the object you have pasted with the halo select tool, then inverse select it using (ctrl+shift+i) then blur evrything but it.

Answer 3

So you Gaussian blurred the whole image, then want to take it off of a just part of the image, to have a certain object stand out? Or you want to go back, and remove the Gaussian Blur from the whole image? Yes, as advised use the History window, to remove G.Blur from the whole image, so you don't have to go back, and start from scratch. (Top header, Edit>Step Backward) If you don't see the History window, go up to Window in the top header, and click on it. Then in the drop-down menu, click on History. As for just taking the Blur off of just one object in your image, I would go back over to the Tools Menu, and right-click on Blur Tool,( just let your mouse cursor 'hover' over the tools in the Tool Menu, to see what the various tools are), then click on the Sharpen Tool. Set it's Strength to 50%, or so,(top header Strength, click on the side arrow, gives you a drop-down slider, that you can click on the line, or click, and drag across the slider) Try different Strength's. Also this is a brush, so you can click on the down arrow next to Brush,(top left, Brush-number size-down arrow), and in the drop-down chart the Hard brushes are listed first, smaller to larger, then on down it starts up with the Soft brushes. Try a Hard Brush, then try a Soft Brush. Tip: You don't have to go with the predetermined brush sizes listed, you know, you can click the down arrow next to Brush, and use the slider as explained above for the Sharpen Tool. Click, and drag the Sharpen Tool over the parts of the image you wish to Sharpen,(or de-Blur) EDIT: To make this work, the Layers must be 'flattened' to just one layer. To do this, go up to Layer in the top header, down to Flatten Image, and click.

Answer 4

Don't erase, just magnetic lasso that section and undo the Gaussian Blur on it alone.

Answer 5

just delete the action on the history window.