You may be looking for this: Choose File > New. There is a field labeled Background Contents. It has a down arrow. Click on it and make a choice. Perhaps Other... is the one you want. It offers a choice from the Color Picker.  Good luck. ... View more

Try this. It takes far, far longer to describe step-by-step than to do.  1. Before making the Blue Alpha Channel, add a mask to the appropriate layer in the Layers panel. 2. Move to the Channels panel and create the Blue Alpha Channel. 3. Select > All followed by Edit > Copy 4. Click on the RGB to choose RGB, and R, G and B channels. Then return to the Layers panel 5. Choose the mask and then Option click on the mask. The screen will go white. You have chosen the mask.   6. Edit > Paste. It puts the Blue Channel Alpha in the mask. 7. Deselect the marching ants and then make the selection you have in mind 8. Paint in white with a hard edged Brush  9. Click on the eye to see the result and deselect the marching ants Note: You can do Step 9 before Step 7 but be sure to paint on the mask Good luck.   ... View more

It is apparent that English is not your native language. As a result, your description of the problem is difficult for us to understand. Perhaps, if you posted your inquiry in your language the Forum’s “translate” function could help us.    Meanwhile, I believe you told us the following facts which  we would like you to confirm. We have also included some questions we would like you to answer so that we can help you:   1. You installed an authorized copy of Photoshop.  Was it on a Mac or PC?  Which Operating System? Version of Photoshop? Are you certain that your computer can accommodate your version of Photoshop? 2.  You processed a raw file and moved into Photoshop where the profile was set to ProPhoto RGB. You converted (or assigned) the profile to sRGB.   3.  It was saved as a jpeg.  4.  Photoshop seems not to be synced to your printer. 5.  You also cannot email the saved jpg file. 6.  You have worked with a pirated version of Phsotoshop for 7 years without this problem. Which version of the pirated version and with what Operating System? * Also tell us what you have done so far in order to solve the problem. When you confirm the facts listed above and answer the questions we will attempt to help you solve the problem. ... View more

You probably will get a prompt reply from the folks at the Photoshop Elements Forum. Go to: https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-elements/bd-p/photoshop-elements?page=1&sort=latest_replies&filter=all ... View more

I am not sure whether this is what you are looking for but if it is, you will find you can separate the type from its backgound by using the Blend If Command. Then, with this image placed in register as a layer over the original image you can make the type any value you choose. Be aware, though, this is a photo image. rather than type and the edges may not be adequate for your intended use.  ... View more

I assumed we were looking east. (Don't ask me why.)  Same game looking west. Good luck. ... View more

I have to admit that my first impulse was to select identical areas in the two images and then replicate them (in color and lightness) in the larger image in Lab Color. Since you are new to Photoshop you would have trouble following along, and I would just be showing off. Shame on me. There is an easier way to get a perfect match.   Drag the small image segment, the one with the correct sky color, over the full image so that it becomes an additional layer.   Hold down the shift key and choose both layers Choose Edit > Auto-Align layers. Now both images are the same magnification (Fig 2 superimposed) Note that the bottom half of the image differs in contrast from the top. Look closely along the right side of the image and you will see it, (Fig 3) Use Curves on the bottom layer and bend the curve as shown to get a match. (Fig 3) Done.     ... View more

If you are willing to set aside mask retouching in order to equalize background tone and, instead, use Photoshop's Blend If command, with a simple slide adjustment, it would provide the option of elimintimng the current background and replacing it with a flat color and tone level of your chooseing.  (Click on the double arrow in upper tight corner of the illustration to see a larger view.) ... View more

vive la différence Blending Mode! ... View more

Consider two approaches to photographing the subject you described as large and white. One relates to color, and the other to lighting, and in both cases a vital consideration is crisp edge focus. Without clearly defined product edges, you are inviting trouble.    If your choice for subject-to-surround separation is lighting, use a meter to confirm that the background white is one stop (or more) lighter than the brightest part of the product.   If your choice of subject-to-surround separation is the color of the surround, the middle gray you mentioned would work. In addition, if you use a darkish color of seamless, a major consideration is to avoid spill light -- which is a reflection of color onto to product from the background or near objects or walls.   ... View more

What is the OS and version? What Photoshop version? What Photoshop function were you applying when it happened? Did it also recur when using other functions? What have you tried in order to solve the problem? Details, Jimbo, more details... ... View more

An alternate approach is to key into Google Images "gold color swatch",  where dozens of golds are displayed. Make a note of the values of a few that may be useful for testing. Set the color in the Color Picker and use its RGB value with a mask on the image (if necessary) to Edit > Fill with the sample Blending Mode set to Color.    ... View more

In addition to the vital element of technical excellence addressed previously, I suggest that you consider each image from the position of the stock house. Stock images, you can assume, are not sold for display in the home, but rather for business use in ads, catalogs, and other commercial applications.   The subject matter should be generic enough to be considered for appearance across a broad spectrum of products or services so that the stock house could anticipate multiple sales. Still, it should be different enough to separate it from the countless other images of the same subject. With a common object or setting, and marketability in mind for example, have you presented a unique vantage point and/or lighting? Unusual choice of lens focal length? Adaptability to vertical and/or horizontal cropping? These and other considerations, in addition to technical excellence, weigh heavily on the potential resale of each image, and of your success in this crowded market.            ... View more

Is this a school homework assignment? ... View more

The first impulse was to use the Blend If command but some of the line edges were too soft to deliver a sharp edge. I suggest Lab Color for creation of the mask.  1.  Image Mode > Lab Color. In layers, click off the lock in the Background layer to eliminate it. 2 Choose Curves. (Note changes in Curves indicated with red arrows) Choose the Lightness channel in Curves and drag it down to create Lightness Copy 3. In Curves move the endpoints horizontally as shown to create sharp pure black and white image  4.  In the Channels panel choose the symbol that Loads the Channel as a Selection 5. Return to the Layers panel and click on the Mask symbol. Done. **** Last, return your original settings marked at the start with arrows Return to RGB and add the image as a layer on any image.    (EDITED for clarity) ... View more

Please post the entire image, or a large portion of it, so that we are able to see the problem and test approaches.    ... View more

Thanks for the kind words, K.   ... View more

@jane-e I guess you are interested in the steps taken in Lab to produce the image I submitted. Here you go:   Change the mode to Lab Color and duplicate the Background layer. In my setup Curves is set to a 10x10 grid and Pigment % (where the scale runs from light to dark).   First: Top Layer: Image > Adjustments > Curves. Flip the  a  Channel which changes the greenery to orange/brown. The ground color goes green. Will use a mask to display the normal color as it appears on the Background layer.   Next: Create and apply Mask: Top layer. Choose the  a  channel and dupe to create an alpha channel (Fig 3). Choose Curves. Slide endpoints horizontally to increase contrast. Then apply as mask to the top layer. (No brushwork necessary.)   Finish: Choose the top layer image in layers, and use the Lasso tool to make rough (sloppy) selection of tree area. Choose Curves. L channel. Darken the trees and Increase their contrast by bending the Curve. Last make a quick selection of the road and darken it.   ... View more

A quick change of seasons in minutes via Lab Color ... View more

If you are unfamiliar with constructing duotones or selecting from a list of duotones and would like a Sepia version of your B&W image: First choose Image > Mode > RGB Color. Then choose Image > Adjustments > Color Lookup... > 3DLUT File > Load Abstract Profile > Sepia Tone    ... View more

I believe trying to return this image to authentic color is a lost cause. Rather, I suggest you convert each into a grayscale image or a duotone.  (This quick sample used Image > Adjustments > Black & White followed by a Curve adjustment. I believe local Dodging and Burning would improve the result.) ... View more

Great idea! Great job! ... View more

You're right, @Trevor.Dennis . Multiply was my first try. I fidddled with a few other things but returned to Multiply before posting the image. I also tried a few captions and although I left one in, now think I should not have added anything at all. Thanks for the thumbs-up.  ... View more

I was in the nightborhood and ...well...you know how it is. (Dave. If this violates the rules, please delete.) ... View more

Another option to be considered is the following: A. Convert the flare image to grayscale (Fig 1) and Fig 2)…See NOTE below B. Add a blank layer below the image layer, return to the image layer, double click on it in the Layers panel to bring up Layer Style. Note the Blend If option (Fig3) C. Move the top left slider slowly to the right to establish the length of the flare (Fig 4) D. Hold down the Option key and split the top left slider and slowly move it to establish the flare vignette. (Fig 5) E. Layer > Merge Down to create the composite.   * NOTE:  (Not shown) If the flare is to appear in an image area of flat color, you may choose to not convert the flare to grayscale but rather to choose the flare with the Blending mode set to Color to match the color of the tone part of the flare to the image to which it will be applied. Another option, if the flare is grayscale is to convert it to color, set the Blending mode to color and to match the color into which it will be applied. In both cases, the whites will remain white.    ... View more