PNG Transparency Issue when downloaded from Browser.

[_Cara_]

I have no clue what has changed or if I have inadvertently changed something via running scripts but I have a problem receiving or downloading png files. Once downloaded to my computer they always show a white background. This just started happening ... it was never an issue before. Does anyone have any idea of where I might look to see if I screwed up a setting somewhere? If i right click to copy and paste a png file into psp pro x4 itself it has a black background .. if i right click save as ... then save as the png file it has a white background. If a friend takes that same file and saves it as a psd file it opens perfectly with the transparent background.

Saving fresh work as png works fine ... so I am stumped as to what is wrong .

ty to anyone who can shed some light on this for me

(i use google chrome browser)

[LindaSue]

As far as I know, you can't just right-click and copy a transparent PNG image directly from the browser into PSP and retain the transparency. You need to save the file to your hard drive and open it from PSP. At least that's the case with Firefox and Internet Explorer on Windows XP.

Also, in PSP go to File > File Format Preferences > PNG tab. In that dialog box, check "Load and save transparency from/to alpha channel". If you find that it's already set to that option and they're still not transparent, you may need to check "Load and save transparency from/to layer transparency" instead. A few months ago I did something in PSP that caused the setting to need to be the opposite of what it should be and it affected all of my versions of PSP after PSP7. In PSP8, I now have to UNcheck "Load and save transparency from/to alpha channel" and in X2 I have to check "Load and save transparency from/to layer transparency" instead of alpha channel. One or the other setting should fix the problem for you. I freaked out when it happened to me because I use transparent PNG images all the time and need them to be transparent.

[_Cara_]

in PSP go to File > File Format Preferences > PNG tab. In that dialog box, check "Load and save transparency from/to alpha channel"

ok did that ... do i need to close out psp or reboot computer for this to work? I immediately tried downloading a png file again and got a background ... it was set to "Load and save transparency from/to layer transparency" before that


and ty soo much for ur reply

[_Cara_]

have managed to narrow down (with help from a friend cause I wouldnt have a clue myself lol) that the issue is with png files saved with Mode > Indexed Color, anything saved in RGB mode is ok.


any thoughts on this direction?

[LindaSue]

I don't know anything about indexed color and you have no control over how other people have saved their PNG files anyway. I've never downloaded one that was supposed to be transparent yet wasn't when I opened it in PSP. Did you try closing and reopening PSP? I don't recall now if I had to do that or not to apply the new settings. Are you able to save transparent PNG images yourself from within PSP?

[LindaSue]

I bet that "indexed color" is what PSP calls "palette-based". You definitely don't want to use that setting to save your PNGs. Here are the settings for saving transparent PNGs with PSP:

1. Go to File/Save As. Choose .PNG format.

2. Click the Options button in the Save As dialog box.

3. Don't change any settings in the little box that pops up. Click "Run Optimizer".

4. Use these settings:
Under the Colors tab:
Check - 16.7 Million Colors

Under the Transparency tab:
Check - Alpha channel transparency
Check - Existing image or layer transparency

Don't change any settings under the remaining tabs.

5. Click OK and save the file.

[_Cara_]

thanks , no I am not having any issues with saving my work as png all that seems normal as normal goes ... and is soo odd cause when i downloaded these certain pngs ... for me i had border .. when i passed it on to someone else they opened on their computer in like paint net and it was a proper png but opening it in their psp had a border ... is just strange ive never come across this before .. guess it goes as a mystery lol.

but these particular ones had been saved by their creator as Mode > Indexed Color, thats the only thing I know is diff about them.

[creiglee]

PNGs create transparency in one of two ways. One of these methods employs the same approach used by GIFs, with a single color defined as transparent, and the other is to set an alpha channel . One of the advantages of PNG single-color transparency is that it doesn't remove a color from the available palette. However, the alpha channel is a much smoother method, as it is far better at blending colors, and allows you to select different levels of transparency in specific regions. The transparent areas of the PNG will blend and adjust naturally to whatever is behind the image when the background of the page isn't a solid white or black color.

[LeviFiction]

Run this script on those PNGs and re-save them. http://forum.corel.com/EN/viewtopic.php?f=104&t=61511

PaintShop Pro doesn't treat indexed transparency the same way it does alpha channel transparency. Indexed transparency is only a viewable effect, it's not actual transparency inside PSP. So you can see it as transparent (Image->Palette->View Transparency), but you can't use it like it's transparent. If that makes any sense.

Normally when you copy an image with indexed transparency color into another image as a new layer the transparency information is lost. Same if you try and convert the indexed color image into a true color image.

So what this script does is it lets you convert the indexed color image into a true color image while keeping the transparency in place. You can now resave the PNG to be a full color image with alpha transparency.

[flagpole]

Run this script on those PNGs and re-save them. http://forum.corel.com/EN/viewtopic.php?f=104&t=61511

PaintShop Pro doesn't treat indexed transparency the same way it does alpha channel transparency. Indexed transparency is only a viewable effect, it's not actual transparency inside PSP. So you can see it as transparent (Image->Palette->View Transparency), but you can't use it like it's transparent. If that makes any sense.

Normally when you copy an image with indexed transparency color into another image as a new layer the transparency information is lost. Same if you try and convert the indexed color image into a true color image.

So what this script does is it lets you convert the indexed color image into a true color image while keeping the transparency in place. You can now resave the PNG to be a full color image with alpha transparency.

Does that work on images with alpha transparency or partial transparency like this one:

39prisonersinhats2.png (11.14 KiB) Viewed 9247 times

Because i have a feeling i've tried it before and couldn't get it to work.

I also don't understand how it works because the partial transparency is not all one colour.

[LeviFiction]

No it won't because PSP doesn't support it. My script is only for indexed transparency. Although that png is 8-bit indexed color, the transparency is alpha transparency. So the end result is something PSP doesn't handle. What happens instead is PSP takes the first color in the palette and identifies it as "transparent" and it ignores the alpha channel altogether. You would need to convert it to 32-bit per pixel image for PSP to properly support it. And at that point you wouldn't need my script. xD

[flagpole]

No it won't because PSP doesn't support it. My script is only for indexed transparency. Although that png is 8-bit indexed color, the transparency is alpha transparency. So the end result is something PSP doesn't handle. What happens instead is PSP takes the first color in the palette and identifies it as "transparent" and it ignores the alpha channel altogether. You would need to convert it to 32-bit per pixel image for PSP to properly support it. And at that point you wouldn't need my script. xD

Ah ok. That makes sense.

Oh well. I wish it did support 8bit palette with partial transparency.