X3 Transparent Background

[David Williams]

In CD11, copying and object from PhotoPaint to CorelDraw resulted in Bitmap with transparent background. This does seem to be the case in X3.
At least I can't find out how to achive this, can anyone please help?

[sallybode]

If you make a layer above the background layer, assuming the background layer is just white, make the background layer an object layers, and delete it. All other layers then will be transparent so long as you don't flood fill them with an opaque color. You can export as a .tif or .png or a .cpt and retain your transparency. It is possible to do this with .png. Jeff Harrison has a free tutorial as to how to do just that.

http://www.unleash.com/jeffh/pngfromdraw/index.asp

[sallybode]

What all the updates do accomplish is that you can make a transparent .png. However, it will not work unless you have installed all of the updates and as you have to have the original install disk with serial number. Out of PhotoPaint, to make the transparent .png you need to sample the background color with the eyedropper in the lefthand window, then preview, the checkerboard background shows you the transparency. You can import it then into DRAW over a colored background, the import is transparent. But it is a transparency like a .gif transparent export, it is a single color transparency. If you want true transparency in all colors, export as a .cpt or as a .psd. Still the transparency is good, and is hands down improvement over .gif transparency altogether. And if you are seeking a web image to fade seemlessly into the background then it is a good thing for you, but the transparency which works best from experimenting is white, and it is a one layer adventure, if you want a different color from another layer to be the transparent color, merge first. But you won't get the finesse of white. Unless you have another reason, choose white. You can however achieve amazing vignettes so it is extremely useful. If your object is transparency via clip mask. If you need transparency with spot color, not the animal to choose.

[sallybode]

This pertains to X3 PhotoPaint and X3 DRAW: A note on transparency copy and pasted between PhotoPaint and CorelDRAW works but this is with all Service Pack updates and Hotpatches. The export from PhotoPaint X3 is correctly read as a transparent background in Photoshop when it is placed. But it is better to copy and paste or bring it in to DRAW as a .cpt rather than .png.

If you do have 12 and you have brought it into Photoshop or any other programs capable of running plugins, Transparency Eliminate White filter or Red Prince Whitewash Alpha Channel works well to remove a white background and makes wonderful transparencies. Even though I have 12 PhotoPaint still installed, I have kept it to test to see what problems people have to help them. If you upgrade you don't have to use these filters.

However, in every version of CorelDRAW it seems there were programs that didn't make it to the next edtion. Some of these still run in newer versions of PhotoPaint and DRAW. If you have 9.0, you can install filters from 9.0 into 12 and 13 in the appropriate folders, a restart makes them work. Squizz then works in both and Julia Set Explorer 2.0. If you enjoy fractals, this filter is for you, there is any number of fanstic things you can do with it.

Best is that you can integrate with the rest of PhotoPaint filters and really get unusual stuff. The example with the leaves encorporates the elements from the sprayer with finding edges. Just keep at it, there are many really great effects you can create.