Maddening!!! Transparent Background Problems

[Mpaige]

OK so I have read and followed EVERY SINGLE THREAD regarding removing white backgrounds and/or making my background transparent. I have at least 10 or 15 different ATTEMPTS saved on my computer. Each one yielding teh exact same result.

I have a black and white image. (I have the image in jpg, eps, ai etc etc a BUNCH of formats)

ALL I want to do is remove the white from around the flouter images in the middle. I cannot get Sean's thing to work despite installing everything its says to install. I have tried all the other suggestions. Its not working for me and I am SO frustrated. It's been three hours now my trying something that should be SO SIMPLE. Frankly I'm a little dismayed that the program doesn't have something automatically set in for something this basic. Its does so well with so much else.

I need YOUR HELP. What am I doing wrong. I am NEW to this program and am NOT a graphics person. If there's a decent (and thorough) tutorial I'd like to see it. I have XaraXtreme 3.2.

THANKS

[gwpriester]

Welcome to the Xtreme Conference.

I believe that you only want to remove the white areas such as between the body and the arms, correct?

There are a few ways to do this.

Using the drawing tools (I prefer the Shape Editor Tool) draw a closed shape of the area you want to remove. You will need to draw one shape for each of the areas.

Group the shapes.

Hold down the Shift key (to select multiple objects) and select the group of shapes and the black and white image and from the Arrange menu, select Combine Shapes > Subtract Shapes.

I'll give some thought to the other method and post that in a moment.

Gary

[ss-kalm]

As far as I am aware, the only formats that support transparency are .gif and .png. Saving as either of these formats will enable you to save with the transparency settings as required.

[Mpaige]

Thanks fro such speedy reply!

Actually I want the black silouttes only not just the areas between the arms etc.

This image (without white) would be placed on a multicolored background and should only be the black figures with no white at all.

I have tried exporting as GIF and PNG to no avail.

[ss-kalm]

Take a look at the image you posted here --------- Unless you have actually specified the same colour background as the forum, the image you posted HAS a transparent background - This forum background is not white!

[handrawn]

keith - mpaige has posted a jpg file - jpg files do not do transparency period - it has a white background....

gary has outlined the way I would do it too

[ss-kalm]

Sorry Steve, Had a senior moment ........ Although it still doesn't look white.

[handrawn]

PS - when you are doing this you should not choose flat and then stained glass - or you will get a desaturated result - simply choose stained glass, and the 'flat' will sort itself out

[gwpriester]

OK Here's an easier (no drawing) but more convoluted method that will work with this black and white image.

Create a Bitmap Copy of the image. Select the True Color option.

Apply a Flat, 0% Stained Glass transparency to the new bitmap. The while areas are now transparent.

Create a new Bitmap Copy. This time select 256 Colors.

Click on the Wine Glass icon in Create Bitmap Options dialog to select transparency and click Create. You will work with this bitmap.

Place a background behind the image (yellow in this example).

Use circles or simple shapes to cover the areas to be dropped out.

Select the circles and the background and Arrange > Combine Shapes > Subtract Shapes.

This help?

Gary

[gwpriester]

Ah, in that case you don't need to remove the areas. The copy bitmap with the transparency will work.