Creating transparent PNGs

[Dudsmack]

What is the best way to create a PNG with a transparent background? Seams all my attempts are giving me images with white backgrounds....so I guess what it comes down it is how do I specifically mark certain pixels as transparent? Are there any freeware programs that can help me with this? I do have photoshop 6...how/can I do it with this? What's the best way?

[Aronya1]

I don't have the program available to me at the moment, but when you create a new image, doesn't it give you an option to set the background color? If not, I think this will work:

Click File, then Export (with preview?)
You should get a window that shows at least a portion of the image you are working on. In this area there is a reference to transparency. Play with that. When you get it, make sure the file format is set correctly before you save it.

[Jeff Mott]

It is also important to know how you are deciding that your images do no have transparency. Note that IE does not yet correctly handle transparency in PNGs.

[DaveSW]

Originally posted by Jeff Mott
It is also important to know how you are deciding that your images do no have transparency. Note that IE does not yet correctly handle transparency in PNGs.

:confused: What do you mean exactly? Are you talking about semitransparency? Simple transparency always works for me in IE 5 up.

The only browser I've found without simple transparency support for .png is Netscape 4.x

[LittleRed]

photoshop 7 has the Help>Export Transparent Image wizard that will create pngs. It's probably safest to have your image (with the background clipped away) on a new layer.
I don't know if 6.0 has this feature or not though.

[ennui]

i belive that feature is only in ps7 and cs versions.

[rhyeguy]

dudsmack,

you can do it in Pshop 6. The down and dirty way is this:

1. Load your art and then double-left-click on the layer to change it from background art to editable art.

1a. If you are creating from scratch then first delete the background layer from the layers pallete and then click the 'add new layer button' TWICE. Start to build your artwork using the top layer (leaving the bottom-most layer transparent).

1b. If your artwork already has a solid background built-in, either erase it or use the mask tool to hide it (revealing the transparent layer below it).

2. Once your artwork is ready to be saved out as a transparent .png, press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S to bring up the 'Save For Web' screen.

3. In the Save For Web screen select either png-8 or png-24 from the settings drop-down menu.

4. Check the transparency box and you're done! :D

Hope that helps.

rhyeguy

[jdavia]

When you open PhotoShop, go to file/preferences and click transparency. When you save the image as a gif or (ping not sure), other windows will show. Follow them.