White glow where image should be fading when saved to PNG

[Krenzathal]

Well after figuring out how to fade to transparency by myself I am left with a residue problem when saving to a different file format. Let me explain....

I took my square image and pasted as a layer. Behind this is a raster layer flood filled with black (As the image will be going onto a black t-shirt). I used a rounded rectangle selection tool to make a mask somewhere just inside the image borders. I then applied a Gaussian blur to the mask and it faded the edges of the image beautifully. I checked with the black background layer off and again it faded nicely into transparency.

Now my issue is that when I save it as a PNG file (with background set to transparency of course) and try to use it against various coloured backgrounds there seems to be a white glow around the edges where it is meant to fade out.

While this is not a particularly unpleasing effect to look at, it is unfortunately not what I want and I was wondering if anyone could give me advice on why I am not getting the effect that I need?

Thank you.

[LeviFiction]

That's odd....I agree it shouldn't be doing that. So let's do a more invasive proceedure see if that gets any better results.

Tell you what, depending on the size of the image, add like a 10 pixel or higher feather to the rounded rectangle selection. Obviously the larger the image the larger the feather needed. A feather is a gradual fade from selected to non-selected.

Invert the selection and delete the extra stuff. This should create a good fade.

[Krenzathal]

Hi and thanks for the reply.

I tried the feathered method and again it works beautifully but I am still getting the same glow effect when I save and import the PNG back into PSP and put it on top of a black raster layer.

Very strange!

[LeviFiction]

Hmm...I wonder if this is a bug? I have never had any such problems myself but it's always possible.

Which version of PSP are you using?

Also, when you save out the PNG are you using the Alpha channel or using a specific color with tolerance?

Is the image you're using available for us to download and try?

[Krenzathal]

Hi, thanks again for the reply, I'm using X4. It doesn't seem like a bug, like I say it looks quite nice but it's just not what I want.

I'm not sure what it means to save using an Alpha channel, usually I just save as a PSP file first so I can go back and edit later and once I'm done I just set the black filled raster layer off and save as a PNG. I don't recall getting asked anything about channels or colour tolerances.

I'm no professional, I just like doodling and editing so maybe this colour thing could be it. It happens with pretty much any image I source off the internet so it's not specific to one picture.

I've had a scan through the manual just there but there doesn't seem to be much mentioned about channels.

[Krenzathal]

Hi, just to say I think I have sorted it.

I didn't realise there was an options button when you went to save so I went to the transparency section and saved as a PNG as both Alpha and Single colour transparency.

Both of these seemed to do the job and everything is fading nicely now.

Thanks once again for all the help, I never would have been able to figure it out if you had not mentioned about the channels and colour.