Re: Transparent backgrounds

["Robert G. Brown" <bob@xxxxxxx>]

>On Sat, 6 Nov 1999, Robert G. Brown wrote:
>>OK, all you graphics buffs, I've got what might be a simple question...
>> 
>>Using one of the graphics tools that comes with most Linux distros, I want to
>>take an image and make the background (assumed to be of one color, or darned
>>close) and make it transparent. A transparent background is one that allows
>>wallpaper or background (on a web page) to show through. 

>>I believe that someone who has really done this will be able to tell me in 
>>a snap, and I'm missing something either obvious or so obscure it's simply 
>>not funny.

On Sun, 07 Nov 1999 01:55:11 EST, Matt Crampton <revicon@net-link.net> wrote:
>	When you open up GIMP, and create a new graphic, a dialogue box
>will come up asking you things like height and width.  also included in
>this dialogue box is a place to choose what type of fill you want for the
>background.  One of the choices in this box is "transparent".  Chose this
>and it will work.  I just tested it out and it works great.

OK, I've done this before and it works just swell; no problem here...yet!

>	If you are going to use an existing image, and just want it to
>have a transparent background, open it in GIMP, use the magic wand to
>select it, and copy it.  Create a new image with your desired height and
>width, and choose "transparent" for the fill type.  Then past the image
>you just copied onto this transparent background.  Presto!  You have an
>image with a transparent background. 

Of course, I did try the above with various image selection tools available 
in GIMP, pasting the seletion into the new image window with the transparent 
background. The result looks OK, and I save it. When the image is reloaded, 
or viewed with another program, what was transparent now appears BLACK.

This won't do. It's not nearly as important that it "look" right in GIMP
if it can't be saved and used elsewhere. If you are succeeding with this
technique and I am not, there must be a reason. For example, you may be
using a type of graphic (jpg or gif) and I'm using a different one, so the
more of these details you can provide, the better it will be.

Also, what is "the magic wand"? I see many tools, scripts, and dialogues
in GIMP, but nothing referred to as such. If I knew what you were talking
about, I could either try it or report that I HAVE tried it...

                                                         Still Clueless....
                                                         ---> RGB <---