Simple Question

[dedotch]

I know this is a simple thing. I just don't remember how. I have removed the background from an image. Now I want to save it as something other than .cpt. Everything I try to export to combines the background. If I was going to use it in draw no sweat the .cpt would be fine. I want to use it on a web page and need .jpg or .gif can someone send me the thread or tell me how to do this simple task. Please.
Thanks
Scott

 

[harry99]

The simplest way, if possible, is to "cheat" the transparency by not using it at all.

Instead, know the RGB of your web page background and in your image create a background layer the full size of the image. Fill it with exactly the same RGB colour as your web page background. You can then export that to either jpg or gif and it will look transparent -- with the proviso that you always display it against the "proper" background colour.

The upside is that fake transparency usually works better than real transparency -- especially if you've used drop shadows, levels of transparancy or anti-aliasing rather than a sharp edged mask.

The downside is that you can do that only on pages with uniform background not patterns (actually that's probably an upside rather than a downside, but it depends on your point of view).

- - -

But ... if you need "real" transparency because your background is a photo or a pattern ...

Conventional wisdom is that you can only use a palleted format such as GIF. But the transparent background you painstakingly created will not help you create a transparent GIF and once again you have to add a uniform background object -- which has to be a colour that isn't used in your image. Then when you export to GIF, you use the eyedropper to identify the colour of the background and select the transparent background option.

- - -

Newer wisdom suggests you ought to be able to create a PNG graphic instead, in a mode that supports alpha channel. The problem here is that "older" browsers (including IE6) don't support it without a fix such as the one at

http://bjorkoy.com/past/2007/4/8/the_easiest_way_to_png/

A further question is whether photopaint can create transparent PNG. I just tried it (with version X3) and it seems that DESPITE the warning that the object will be merged with the background, it does in fact create a transparent PNG if you DON'T set the transparent background option at the next screen but just go ahead and do it.

[To prove it's a transparent, import the PNG into CorelDraw and put a coloured rectangle behind it].

This may not work with earlier versions but try it and see.

Try also importing the CPT with transparent background into CorelDraw and exporting to PNG from there. That also definitely works in X3 but might not do so in earlier versions.