Photoshop 7

Thanks for previous reply's but I think I need to rephrase part of the question. Here it is again with the last part modified.

I have extracted a portion of a .jpg image, using the extract filter. The extracted portion has an irregular edge. In other words it is not rectangular, circular, square or any other precisely defined shape. It just has an irregular arbitrary curved edge which eventually comes around and connects to itself. Like someone tore it out of a square photo. The edge is very clearly defined however. Since this was done with the extract filter, the edge has a very small distance that gets faded to transparency. Everything surrounding the image is of course, transparent. The question is:

How do I perform a gradient starting much further into the extracted drawing (a distance of my choice)? This gradient would be a linear (or whatever) transformation from the image to the surrounding transparency. I don't necessarily mean with the extract filter, but any method, tool, or combination thereof. It does not necessarily have to be with an irregular shape either. I would like to be able to do this with any image.

I only know how to perform a gradient which requires you to use the forground or background color, unless there is a way to make the image the foreground or background color. Thanks.

George Belva

on your selection use the feather tool; Select->Feather
and then select the amount you'd like. Feather graduates your selection from opaque to transparent.