A pure white background is dull and boring. A transparent background adds a new dimension to an image and creates a point of interest. It is relatively easy to make one of these transparent backgrounds.
File Issues
The disadvantage with this process is JPG files cannot support the transparent background. The only option is to change the file type. When manipulating the image, try to use PSD files; the official Photoshop files. After making the background transparent, save the file and transform it into a PNG or GIF file.
Try to avoid making an image background transparent before finishing the actual image itself. For example, if making a transparent poster, add everything to the poster before embarking on this process. Otherwise, it just causes problems when trying to make any edits.
Turning White into Transparent
Start by opening the file with the white background by navigating to the ‘File’ dropdown menu and picking ‘Open.’ From here, there is a breakdown of the computer’s folders and the various Photoshop files. Pick the right one from here and wait until it loads up.
Continue by clicking ‘Select’ followed by ‘Colour Range.’ Change the ‘Fuzziness’ to zero. There is also the potential for manipulating this slider to create a number of other cool effects.
Next, go to the ‘Select’ dropdown menu and find the ‘Sampled Colours’ option. Click it and it should make a colour chooser appear. This palette includes all the colours found on the painting panel at the side of the screen. For the purposes of this process, pick white.
Find the ‘Invert’ box under the selection window and make sure it has a tick inside of it. Press ‘Ok’ and it will select everything in the image that isn’t white. Press ‘Edit’ followed by ‘Copy’ to place this selection in the clipboard. It is now safe to deselect everything.
New File
After completing the selection, create a new Photoshop file. When picking the new document, remember to choose the ‘Transparent’ option and press ‘Ok.’ The image will have a background made up of checkers. This displays transparency. Photoshop has yet to properly support obvious transparency, so they use checkers instead.
To finish the image, press the ‘Edit’ dropdown menu and paste it in. This will implant the selection from the previous message onto the transparent background. Save the file and look at it in Windows Photo Viewer to check if it has worked. If not, go back over the process again.
Transparency and Browsers
It is wise to avoid using transparency for any image that will go in a browser. Browsers such as Internet Explorer and Firefox will not support transparency. Certain add-ons can support them, but any visitor is unlikely to have the same add-on and will only see a white background.
Most people who decide to use transparency in their images are professional graphic designers. Transparent images usually go on posters, tickets, and other real-world media.
Browsers currently have no plans to make transparency a natural part of their products. M.A.H.
