Help with 2 things: Transparent GIF and editing image

[TXUSA]

As I become more proficient with many of the feature sets offered by P&GD6, there are still two basic things I have been frustratingly unable to master and need assistance with. Hope no one minds me including both issues in this one message. For reference I have attached 2 screen shots.

First issue (see screen shot 1): As an example I created a simple b&w text image, which I subsequently saved to file as a GIF. At a later time I decide to open the saved file in order to edit the image. In editing all I want to do is remove the 2 dots over the letter "i" and re-save the image. Screen shot 1 shows the image unlocked on the page after re-opening the file. I cannot figure out how to edit the image at this point in order to remove the dots over the "i. I know I am overlooking a simple step, but I've tried everything. Please tell me the secret to going back and cutting out just part of an image after the image has already been created.

Second issue (see screen shot 2): After many, many, many attempts I am still unable to create a simple GIF image with a totally transparent background so I can use the image on colored backgrounds. Using the same image example as above, I first went to Arrange>Create Bitmap Copy. That brings up the "Create bitmap options" window. For color depth I choose True color+Alpha. Then I hit the create button. The image I just created is selected on the page, and I then click the Export button to save it. After naming the file and clicking the Export button, I am taken to the GIF Export Bitmap Options window. At this point I have tried both transparency options. If I choose the option to make the background transparent, I end up with an image surrounded by white artifacts when the image is placed over a colored background (as shown in the top of screen shot 2). If I start over and choose instead to make a color transparent (in this case I chose to make white transparent since the image was created with a white background), I end up with the image surrounded by a block of white (the lower image in screen shot 2). What is the proper way to make transparent GIFs?

I will be a very happy camper, and extremely appreciative, if someone can provide me an answer to these two pressing issues.

[zaphodeist]

You can't edit a saved .gif like the original vector. Xara is not a raster editor like photoshop. You need to save the .xar file and edit that, then re export as a new .gif For transparent .gif background - just use the .png type True Colour + Alpha. It's a more modern, cleaner and better format.

[iamtheblues]

To answer your first issue should you ever have to edit a bitmap in future, draw a line around or between the objects you wish to remove. Then select the line and the rest of the bitmap and press Ctrl + 4 or Arrange Menu>Combine Shapes>Slice (cut) Shapes.
Saludos,
Bob.

[handrawn]

Hi

if you really need gif then you will need to export it with an [unselected] copy of the background you are going to use behind it

that way when you apply the transparency the program can reference it and work out how to set the edges to blend in - you need to do this separately for each differing background

this is a limitation of the 256 colour format; gif does not support true colour+alpha - png does and gives you a clean edge regardless of background

[TXUSA]

99% of my past design experience has been using raster based programs (e.g. Ulead Photo Impact 11). It was easy to edit anything to your heart's content, whether it was a re-opened file or not. P&GD6 is my first opportunity to work with a vector based program so I still have a lot of re-learning to do in order to break old habits and learn new routines. I guess the first rule I need to remember is to initially save everything in .xar format in case I need to go back and do some editing at a later time.

For example purposes, and to reinforce this concept in my brain, can someone shed additional light on vector and transparency. Using the screen shot that I've attached as a reference, I have created an image of a paw that consists of 5 separate shapes. I have yet to group the shapes into one single image. They are simply sitting on the page against a white page background and arranged in the way I want the final image to appear. Say I will be placing the final saved image on a page with a green background, or maybe a red background (as shown). My questions:

1. In a vector based program, can I save the paw image against the white page background (as indicated on the screen shot) and then save in such a way (.png?) that the image can be used later against any colored background, and with cleanly defined edges? Similar to raster's transparent gifs?

2. Or, prior to saving, do I always have to place the .xar image over the background color that the image is intended to be used with? And then save as .png without worrying about transparency settings at all.

I think the correct answer is likely #2, but if not, then I am back to being confused again.

Before I turn to Google, can anyone recommend a web site(s) that will help explain the key differences when designing in vector as opposed to raster. For someone like me, who is switching over from years of working with raster based programs, it would sure be helpful. It would also make a great Xara tutorial for others in the same situation (hint!). Thanks for everyone's help with my queries. Much appreciated per usual.

[ad1066]

Saving your work as a .XAR file is always a good idea, same as if you were working on a complex project in Photoshop, you'd want to save a .PSD file as well as whatever the final format is going to be (GIF, JPG, etc).

If you export an object to PNG using True-Color with Alpha, then the background doesn't matter, the transparency will work with anything. And honestly, in this day and age, there's no reason to use GIF over PNG unless you're using the animation capabilities (which are also rapidly becoming a thing of the past).

-- Ben

[TXUSA]

Thanks Ben, and also thanks to Bob and handdrawn. I agree with gifs not being in popular usage anymore. I did an image and saved as .png, choosing True-Color with Alpha. It did the trick and solved the issue. No more gifs for me, other than animation. As I become more experienced with this program the more I really appreciate the design possibilities. I just have to learn all the tricks that go along with using a vector based program to create images. But the learning curve is quickly becoming less steep, thanks to you and others in this great forum who have been nice enough to provide assistance when needed.

[handrawn]

hi

a standard gif or a png produced by a vector program is no different to a standard gif or a png produced by a raster one - same goes for jpg

really the issue is one of colour depth

you will get exactly the same problem with a png exported at 256 colour depth as you will a gif

gif has a maximum of 256 colours

jpg has true colour only [no transparency]

png has a range of options including true colour with alpha [ie transparency]


true colour is 16 million colours - a bit of a jump from 256

the pixels that make up the boundary of the image are not uniform in shape - so in order to smooth them you need to fill in with pixels

when you have 16 million colours to choose from you can 'fade out' to true transparency easily because you can achieve all the intermediate stages

when you only have 256 clolours you can't do this - and as the pixels are either fully transparent or fully opaque to avoid a jagged edge the 256 colour image adds fully opaque pixels that match the background, so it will blend in

so any reason to use 256 colour - basically file size, they can be a whole load smaller; true colour + alpha can produce big files