REMOVING THE BACKGROUND FROM A TRACED BITMAP IMAGE

When you place and trace an image in illustrator, often this image will come with a background color, usually white. This is even the case, when you have gone to the trouble to select and delete the background in photoshop. The reason for this is that your photoshop file is set to have a background vs being set for transparency.


When this is the case you can go back and attempt to set the .psd file with a transparent background or you can remove it in illustrator. Here is how you remove it in illustrator:

Convert your Bitmap file to a Vector graphic, using Live Trace
(see the tutorial- Changing your Bitmap Image to a Vector Graphic)

Select the Background:
Using the Select Tool in the Top of the Tool, press down the Shift Key and select all the background ground closed paths (there may be more than one) Once the are all selteted hit delete.

Rasterize you Image
If you prefer to have the image back to its bitmap state, convert the graphic back to a Raster Image by selecting the image and choose Effect/Rastorize.