... and in fact true color

...and in fact true color + alpha too, but it does not show unless the actual bitmap has graduated transparency [unlike xtreme 2], so I missed that completely in the feather example - DOH!

that xtreme 2 and xtreme 5 handle the true color + alpha transparency differently does not seem surprising on reflection, bearing in mind the changes made in the bitmap handling...

this has taken this thread away from white background removal and into transparency in general so sorry for that...