Crop Against subject, removing background?

Question

I need to paste this column on a colored background, but the rectangular border of the canvas around the column is white, so the pasted overlay shows a white rectangle instead of just the column.  How do I remove the rectangular background, so that I am left with just the column that when I paste it on the colored background only the column will be visible?
I tried using the Magic Wand, which makes a selection around the column, but I don't know what to do next...or if this is indeed the correct tool for the job.
This is a process I never learned using PSE8.  Thank you for your help!

Answer 1

My first choice would be the quick select tool. Wand, however, should also do the job.
1. I'd select the white background around the column as it will be the easiest to select.
2. To get the column selected, go to the menu bar and click Select<Invert Selection. Now, the column is selected.
3. With your selection active, go to the menu bar and click Select<Refine Edge. Use the the sliders in Refine Edge to modify the selection if needed.
4. After you are happy with the selection, press ctrl + J if on a PC or cmd + J if on a Mac. This command will lift a copy of the selected object (the column) onto it's own layer.
5. Click the background layer eye in the layer's palette to make the original column image invisible. Once this is accomplished, you should see the column over transparency.
6. Now, you can create a blank layer and move it under the column. Fill it with a solid color with the paint bucket. (Alternately, you could create a solid color fill adjustment layer and set it to the desired color. You could have also added a pattern or inserted a new background).
Note: When an image is dragged or copied into another document it adopts that document's resolution. When images differ in resolution, they shrink or enlarge when they attempt to match that resolution.
6a. You can also copy/paste or drag the isolated column layer into another document. (Keep in mind that anything dragged or copied into a document will adopt that document's resolution.)
Note: If you want to keep the document in layers, save the document in a format like PSD that supports layers. JPG does not and will flatten the image...transparency areas will become white.
Optional: If you want to save your column selection, go to the menu bar and click Select<Save Selection.  Name the selection. This will save the selection with the document in an alpha channel. Elements can not access the alpha channel directly so you can not view the selection, however, you can load a saved selection at any time by clicking Select<Load Selection. To preserve this saved selection with the document, the document must be saved in a format such as PSD that supports layers and preserves alpha channels...JPG does not. Any image saved as a JPG will be flattened and the alpha channel with the saved selection will be lost.