Transparent Background for Exported BMPs

[Ron Myers]

Can anyone help?
I need to export BMP files with a transparent background so then can imported into another application and used as toolbar icons. Xara specifically excludes this option when exporting BMPs. Is there another way?

[Ron Myers]

Can anyone help?
I need to export BMP files with a transparent background so then can imported into another application and used as toolbar icons. Xara specifically excludes this option when exporting BMPs. Is there another way?

[Egg Bramhill]

Ron
I think I'm correct in saying that .bmp files do not support transparent backgrounds. For transparent backgrounds try .gif files which support 255 colours or .png files with support 000's colours. So unless you can import either of the above file types into your target program you may be stuck, unless you know the target program background colour and can match that in .bmp.

Egg

[Sean Sedwards]

Unfortunately, CorelXARA doesn't support transparency in 24-bit bitmaps, so only GIFs and PNGs with 8 bits of fewer will work. This may limit the quality of photographic images but will be entirely adequate for toolbar icons. If you need 24-bit colour with full alpha transparency, you should download the Xara X beta.

BTW, Windows 95 / NT4 saw the introduction of a new type of bitmap that supports alpha transparency, gamma correction and JPEG compression, however I've not come across any app. that uses it.

Regards - Sean