Transparenting An Image

Thu Mar 31, 2005 2:04 am

I hope this is the right thread to post this in, but how do I make an image transparent? Like with this image:

Would anyone know?
Thanks

Thu Mar 31, 2005 2:28 am

Well, if you're creating an image, you need to start out with a transparent canvas.
In Photoshop, you just select "transparent" from the File > New menu. Then when you save it, go to File > Save for web and save it as a GIF, which supports transparency.
If it's an image that you didn't make but you want to make it transparent, copy it to a transparent canvas and erase the parts you don't want. Then save for web (as a GIF).

Thu Mar 31, 2005 2:50 am

Ok thanks.
How would I transparent it if all I have is paint?

Thu Mar 31, 2005 3:14 am

I'm afraid you can't, with Paint. For one, it saves .GIF files horribly (as it defaults to .BMP), but it also doesn't support transparency, to my knowledge. :\

You'll have to go with another program, something more professional.

Thu Mar 31, 2005 3:49 am

Ah, darn.

Do you know a program I would be able to get that would allow me to do this for a cheap price/for free?

Thu Mar 31, 2005 4:02 am

I like the Gimp,

http://www.gimp.org

but if that's too powerful for you, there's also Photofiltre.

http://photofiltre.com

Thu Mar 31, 2005 5:41 am

Thanks, I'll download both programs and experiment with them for abit.
It'll be so nice to finally be able to make images transparent.
Thanks!

Thu Mar 31, 2005 1:43 pm

Yoshi wrote:I'm afraid you can't, with Paint. For one, it saves .GIF files horribly (as it defaults to .BMP), but it also doesn't support transparency, to my knowledge. :\

Actually, I've got to disagree... unless you have Windows XP. Otherwise:

http://www.mspainttuts.lost-thoughts.net has a tutorial on transparency. Yes, it is my own personal site, and yes, I am still researching on if Windows XP Paint is capable of transparency.

Mon Apr 04, 2005 11:08 pm

tnmg wrote:Ah, darn.

Do you know a program I would be able to get that would allow me to do this for a cheap price/for free?

Another program that you could get, that isn't listed, is Paint Shop Pro.

I've no idea what peoples opinions are of this but I used it for my icon and sig.

I think they got a free trial download on their website http://www.jasc.com I got mine from a PC magazine a while back as it takes forever for me to download anything.

Tue Apr 05, 2005 1:47 am

®ºº wrote:Another program that you could get, that isn't listed, is Paint Shop Pro.

I've no idea what peoples opinions are of this but I used it for my icon and sig.

PaintShop Pro is an excellent choice, many PPTers use it, including me. To transparatize (am I just making up words now?) an image, fill the areas you wish to have transparent with some othere colour that doesn't appear in the rest of the image.
Then go to Colors > Set Palette Transparency.
It may warn you first that using transparency will revert your image to 256 colours.
Once you get past that, you get to the window that lets you choose which colour you wish to have transparent.
Float your mouse over your image, and cursor should have changed to the eyedropper tool. Select the colour you filled the transparent areas with, and click OK on the little window.
Save as a gif, and you're all done.

Tue Apr 05, 2005 7:22 am

I use it differently. I use the Magic Drop tool thing, select the background and inverse the lines, the copy it via layer.

Wed Apr 06, 2005 3:58 pm

Ok i'm confused, I have PSP7 and I'm trying to decipher your instructions and i'm not getting it. Let me explain something first, I ALWAYS start out with a transparent image (i.e. I have a checkered background) Then I place things from there, now what do I do if I don't want a solid color background behind my image?

Lisa

GAH!!!! HELP!

Wed Apr 06, 2005 10:34 pm

Ok, the transparent checkered background is not going to do you a lick of good for keeping it transparent while saved. Because as soon as you change it to a 256 colour image (by either saving it directly as an image, or by attempting to set the palette transparency) it will change the transparent checkered background to solid white.

Instead of leaving it checkered, fill it with some solid colour that does not appear in the rest of the image (any colour will do, though bright green is often used).
Then go to Colors > Set Palette Transparency
Once the little transparency menu window pops up, you have three options, Optimized Median Cut, Optimized Octree, and Standard/Web-safe. The choice you pic affects the end quality of your image.
Once you've made your selection, the window will change. Hovering your mouse over your image will change your cursor to the eyedropper. Use the eyedropper to select the colour you wish to be transparent. Make sure that the third option on the menu window ("Set the transparency value to palette entry:") is the one selected, and then click OK.
You won't really see any immediate change to your image, but if you save it as a gif, it will be transparent.
To see the change immediately, go to Colors > View Palette Transparency.

Wed Apr 06, 2005 11:50 pm

Ok this I get but the problem i'm having is those little jaggies that show up. It looks horrible! Any suggestions?

Mon Sep 19, 2005 12:22 pm

..Does anyone know how to make transparency with Flash? I use Flash Macromedia 5 to make most of my things (A lot easier than paint) then publish them to a png file. So.. Is it possible to transparent some parts?

... It probably isn't >.<