Graphics on transparent background (again)

**mjclarke** · 22 July 2006, 04:21 PM

First I've had the product for two days, second, I have read ALL the posts on this subject.

I purchased Xara Xtreme because I needed a solution to create geometric shapes to use in digital video. These shapes would be used to create composites. If they can not be generated with a transparent background, they are worthless for what I need.

To test the software, I drew a circle and attempted to EXPORT it. The GIF format seemed to work, but the PNG did not. With the PNG I got a circle superimposed on a white square. As Dire Straits would say: That ain't workin'.

With Photoshop, within which I do all my photo touchup in, the choice right up front is the background; white, colored, or transparent.

In my mind this should be a fundamental function in any graphic program. However, it seems I am mistaken.

I read another poster ask pretty much the same question without much of a concreate answer.

So, is there a way to create a drawing ON a transparent background? And why does my PNG export with a white square?

Thanks.

**molucca** · 22 July 2006, 04:39 PM

Select the True Color + Alpha. Rich

**Albacore** · 22 July 2006, 04:48 PM

Do as Rich states and also make sure the Wineglass with the chequered Cyan squares is selected. I just save a circle and triangle as png. and then imported it into a drawing that I am working on at the moment. You might be able to see the white fringing around the shapes so if it is for the web then when you draw your shapes you should also have drawn a background the same colour as the background in the web page. Hope that makes sence

**jamesmc** · 22 July 2006, 05:36 PM

Below are 3 figures all the same, but exported differently.

The first is a GIF with transparency with the little Wine Glass Checked making background transparent.

The second figure is a PNG with True+ALPHA selected. The ALPHA channel adds the transparency for PNG graphic files (making them 32 bit.)

The third figure (next post) is a PNG with True Colors and no transparency to background selected. You can see a white box around it.

**jamesmc** · 22 July 2006, 05:37 PM

This is a PNG file without background transparency.

**remi** · 22 July 2006, 08:26 PM

Necessary steps to export a transparent PNG

This forum is great, isn't it?

Remi

**Egg Bramhill** · 23 July 2006, 01:12 AM

James

The second figure is a PNG with True+ALPHA selected.

But there's no transparency in your second image.

**jamesmc** · 23 July 2006, 02:10 AM

Originally Posted by Egg Bramhill

James

But there's no transparency in your second image.

Yeah, I had put the dialog box graphics with the wrong set of transparent graphics.

**jamesmc** · 23 July 2006, 02:26 AM

Originally Posted by jamesmc

Yeah, I had put the dialog box graphics with the wrong set of transparent graphics.

I did take a look in IE and it doesn't appear to be transparent, but it is in Mozilla Firefox.

This is the IE screen shot.

**Odat** · 23 July 2006, 02:32 AM

Originally Posted by jamesmc

I did take a look in IE and it doesn't appear to be transparent, but it is in Mozilla Firefox.

This is the IE screen shot.

As I recall, IE 6 doesn't support alpha transparency in PNG graphics, only standard "pick a color, that color is transparent", like GIF files. IE 7 is supposed to fix this, apparently.