Tutorials For Beginners: Creating Images with Transparent Backgrounds

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There are several reasons for using transparent backgrounds on images.

1. To allow an image you created to be used on a background of any color.
2. To place an image on a page with a patterned background and have the pattern show through.
3. To avoid the halo effect that sometimes happens when an image has a background the same color as the page, and is converted from 16.7 million colors to a lower color depth image (i.e. GIF) .
4. Please note that converting a graphic to a transparent background will not work well for graphics with drop shadow, feathering or anti-alias, since the colors are faded into the background. There is no distinct change in color between the graphic and the background, so if you make one of these transparent on white, and use it in a dark background, there will be white edges.

In this tutorial we will assume you have created an image and have already saved it with its layers as a PSP file. One thing to remember about computers is there is usually more than one way to do something. These instructions will show you one way. Other people may have slight variations on the steps. If the variations mean it is less work, then let me know and I will change the instructions.

1. Note: If your image has a patterned background, you will need to remove the pattern before making the background transparent. Go here if you need help removing the colored background.
   
   
2. Make sure the image is open and is the active image on the screen (the border will be blue). The first thing is to save it as a new image to work on, so we can keep the .psp version in tact for future editing.
   
   From the menu choose Edit, then Copy Merged. This will copy and merge all the layers into one, flattening it.
   
   
   
3. From the menu choose Edit, then Paste as a New Image. This will create a new active image that you can work on.
   
   
   
4. Close or minimize the original .psp version of the image so you don't accidentally select that one to work on in the next step.
   
   
5. Next decrease the color depth to 256 colors. From the menu choose Colors, then Decrease Color Depth, then 256 Colors (8 Bit)
   
   
   
6. A new window will open with color depth options. Choose the options shown below, and click on OK.
   
   
   
7. Set the background color on the color palette to the same color as the background color of the image. When you make a color transparent all places where that color is used are made transparent.
   
   
   
8. From the menu choose Colors, then Set Palette Transparency.
   
   
   
9. A new window will open. Choose the option to set to the current background color. Also click on Proof to see the background become transparent and know what you did in these steps worked.
   
   I always found this step confusing. When PSP says it uses the Current Background Color it Does Not mean it automatically selects the background color you used in your image. It means that PSP goes to the color palette that sits on the right side of your screen, and chooses whatever color is shown as the background color there.
   
   For example, if the background color in the palette is set to blue, it would pick the blue and make blue transparent in your image.
   
   
   
10. You are finally ready to save the file as a .gif file. From the menu choose File then Save As. A window will open for options. Choose the folder you want to store it in, choose .gif format, give it a file name, and click on the options button. Another window will open for .gif options. Choose version 89a and press OK.
    
    
    The small window will close. Press SAVE.
    
    

That's it. You've created an image with a transparent background.

If your original image has a patterned background.

1. Open the .psp version of your image and keep it as the active document.
   
   
2. In the Layers Tool, click on the layer that has the patterned background.
   
   
3. Change the foreground color in the color palette to the color you want to make transparent. Using the flood fill tool, flood fill the background layer with the new color.
   
   
4. If you want to keep these changes in the .psp version, save the file, otherwise, don't save the changes.
   
   
5. Go back.