help with bitmaps and transparent backgrounds

[rgremill]

I cannot figure this out. I am trying to create a bitmap of a logo to be used in MS Access. I need to have the white background of my image to be transparent. I try to export the drawing as a bitmap and select white as the transparent color, but it doesn't seem to work.

What's the trick?

[rgremill]

I cannot figure this out. I am trying to create a bitmap of a logo to be used in MS Access. I need to have the white background of my image to be transparent. I try to export the drawing as a bitmap and select white as the transparent color, but it doesn't seem to work.

What's the trick?

[Sean Sedwards]

The bitmap export dialog doesn't seem to work as it should, but there are workarounds.

256 colour exports:

If the colour you want transparent is the background, click the 'Make background transparent' button! Curiously, this actually adds a transparent background colour to the palette. If you want another colour transparent, make a non-transparent bitmap copy of your drawing and try to export that. Click the transparent background button again then use the eye dropper to select the colour(s) you want transparent and click the 'Make colour transparent' button. You may need to press the Preview button to see the changes,</p>
24/32-bit colour exports:

Simply create the drawing on the page as you want it and export as 'Truecolor + alpha'. There are also some fancy things you can do with the Transp button in the Bitmap Gallery, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Regards - Sean

[rgremill]

Sean, it still isn't clicking with my brain. Where exactly is the 'Make background transparent' button? Can you make a screen print of the settings I should choose?

Thanks!
Robert

[gwpriester]

Export your image as a GIF file. The make background transparent icon is the wineglass at the bottom of the export dialog.

Gary

Gary Priester

Moderator Person

<a href="http://home.earthlink.net/~garypriester">
Be it ever so humble...</a>

http://www.thuntek.net/gwp/flag.jpg

[rgremill]

Gary, I have created a transparent gif (GIF89A) using Photoshop but it does not work when I import the image into Access. The white background in my logo shows up as gray in Access, but when I change the "canvas" behind the logo to another color, the other color does not show through.

I think Access prefers bitmaps, so I want to create a bitmap image of my logo with the white background as the transparent color. I'm posting the xara file of my logo, if someone could please help.

[This message was edited by rgremill on September 26, 2001 at 05:36.]

[juergen]

is to select the graphic I want to export and "arrange" -> "convert to editable shapes".

for some reason without I dont get any transparent color set.

juergen

[Sean Sedwards]

When you say "bitmaps" I think you mean "BMPs" - I was using the term in the general sense, i.e., any bitmap format that supports transparency. I've attached a screen shot of the export dialog with the relevant buttons marked, however they will be unavailable for BMPs because Xara X can't export transparent BMPs. X tries its best from the Bitmap Gallery, but the format is non standard and only X can import them (even X's own import preview gets confused with the 32 bit version).

My earlier post mentioned the fact that X adds a transparent background colour to the palette when you click the "Make background transparent". This allows it to create the effect you're after: the white background is transparent but other white in the drawing is not. I've attached a transparent GIF of your logo below. If that doesn't work, try exporting as a PNG.

Regards - Sean

[Sean Sedwards]

Transparency buttons

Regards - Sean

[rgremill]

Thanks for your input. When I export to bmp I'm not allowed to click on those buttons.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Xara X can't export transparent BMPs<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Does Photoshop support this?

My goal is to create an image where all of the white is transparent.

I did create a transparent gif image, but the background color of the Access form did not show through.

Tonight I will experiment with other image types. It looks like Access can import many image file types