PSP X8 and PNG Transparency

[zimok]

Hi all, I'm new and Iìave a question regarding PNG.
Why if I open one like that in attachment, the transparency is not respected?
This happens using X2 too!
If I open it with Photoshop or a simple software as Fotografix, the transparency is respected.
Please try yourself, this is an unapceptable issue at this state.

[hartpaul]

It could be a problem with your X8 program or a problem with that png file.
Please try this:
1. Open a new transparent document say 300 x 300 pixels.
2. Draw something on there with the paintbrush tool or use the picture tube tool.
3. Save As and in the Save as Type select PNG and complete the save giving it a distinctive name.
4.Delete the image on the desktop and reload your just made png and see if transparency is maintained.

I suspect that you will find that a png prepared by X8 will maintain its transparency and that the png you are having troubles with is one downloaded / made in another program.

You might also check this thread:
http://forum.corel.com/EN/viewtopic.php?f=56&t=46047

[Jean-Luc]

How do you created your PNG ?
Try this :

Test transparent.png (3.41 KiB) Viewed 7835 times

[zimok]

I have no problem with PNG created by me, only with some downloaded image.
But ...why Photoshop and other ultra simple image editor respect the transparency?

Opening the PNG edited by Jean-Luc, I have no issue obviously.

Not a big problem, simply annoying, like the TIF format issue that when opened in another program, shows two file, the original and the thumbnail.
Professionally speaking, it's ridiculous.

[hartpaul]

Load your defective png and then use the steps below.

A possible solution for you might be to
1. File > Export > PNG Optimiser
2. Click the transparency tab.
3. Radio Buttons Single Color Transparency and Areas that Match this color.
4. Click the color box and then move the dropper over to the color usually white click OK to accept.
5. Type in the new name or overwrite the original.

Edit: I forgot to mention that you do this with the pngs that you already have.

[zimok]

When I export an Image as PNG I have no problem
Instead when I open some downloaded PNG the transparency is not respected in X8 or X2.
So I have to open it with an old copy of Photoshop, save it as PNG and finally x8 or x2 see the transparency.
Is it normal at this state of development?
Is it normal that all the PNG are correctly opened with all the small free program while PSP doesn't work?

[LeviFiction]

The test png you gave us works just fine in X8 it's just not what you expect. The image you uploaded is 256-bit paletted image. PSP handles transparency of with such images a little differently, you have to go to Image -> Palette -> View Transparency to see the transparency. You would see the same thing in a GIF file.

It's one of the quirks of PSP. The really annoying part is that if you increase the color depth, PSP will not honor the transparency. And although you can view color transparency the color itself is not considered to be truly transparent so things like using the magic wand set to match opacity won't work. To deal with maintaining transparency I had to make a script that performed several steps. With simple images like your example above that's not necessary. Just select the white area and delete and you're good to go. But with more complex images the transparent color could be duplicated at another color index making selecting that one color very difficult.

[Forriner]

A question for the experts: under menu File/Preferences.../File Format Preferences/PNG tab, the tab has two options (radio button): Load and save transparency to / from layer transparency or from alpha channel.
Is this something to look at in cases like this?

[LeviFiction]

In general, yes that is one possible place to look. If they've set it to load the transparency into the alpha channel then they wouldn't see any transparency at all, they would have to load a mask or selection with the alpha channel to re-create the transparency on layer. Easily checked by seeing if either that option is set, or if a selection is available from the alpha channel. Of course PSP defaults to loading the transparency to the layer and not the alpha channel so they would have had to set this value themselves.

In this exact case, no. As I pointed out above, the transparency in this image is in the color palette and you have to tell PSP to show that transparency. It's not in the layer or in the alpha channel. In fact the transparency doesn't actually exist, it's just one index is being identified as the "transparent" color but that's all interpreted and not actual transparency.

[Forriner]

Thank you, LeviFiction.
Zimok, I hope you don't mind my question in your thread.

[LeviFiction]

Just posted this script - http://forum.corel.com/EN/viewtopic.php?f=104&t=61511

It should convert any PNG like the example you posted into a fully transparent image for you. It won't work just any regular image of course, it has to be a paletted image that contains a transparent color index. So I can't guarantee it'll work for every image you are having trouble with.

[zimok]

Thanks to all for replies, I appreciate this.
LeviFiction is right, It's one of the quirks of PSP.
For me it's the best editor ever, only I don't understand stupid issue like this.
Same thing for the Tiff format saving issue, another bad story.