Insert of *.png with transparent background does not work

[pstein]

I have a *.png "help" image file with transparent background.

Now I load another"main" *.jpg (or *.png) file and want to insert the mentioned first "help" *.png file into it.
However this does not work. Instead of the transparent background a white background is shown.

Questions:

1.) Currently I used a *.png "help" file with transparent background. But can a *.jpg file have a transparent background as well?

2.) Do I have to prepare/convert the "main" image to let inserted "help" images appear with transparent background?

3.) Should the insertion of *.png "help" images with transparent background work for *.jpg AND *.png "main" images or only one of them?

Peter

[migf1]

Hello Peter,

I didn't quite get the procedure you follow, but in general very few image formats can have transparency, PNG is one of them (JPG is not). Once you load an image into PSP (including .png images that do not have any transparent areas shown), try right-clicking on their layer in the layers palette, and in the menu that pops up select "Promote Background Layer". This should add an Alpha channel for those specific images (transparency) and you can then work with transparencies on them.

To keep the transparencies in the final result, save it as .png (or as .pspimage if you additionally want it to keep the layers structure).

PS. "Promote Background Layer" is also found in the Layers menu.

[hartpaul]

Apart from .pspimagefiles , png files are the main ones that show transparency.
So you cannot have a jpg showing transparency, but you can do a screenshot of a png with transparency and insert that into a jpg file , merge it and apparently show the transparency.
This is a layer showing transparency and a png when saved as such in PSP2020

01bearpng.png (9.25 KiB) Viewed 2504 times

This is a screenshot of two layers showing transparency

To be able to plac the two separate layers together and keep transparency you must right click the top layer and do Merge > Merge Down

And this is the final image showing the two transparent layers merged as one and can be saved as a png.

04twopngmergeddown.png (11.35 KiB) Viewed 2504 times

[pstein]

Hmm, my question is not answered yet.

Let me tell the problem with an example

Have a look at the attached snapshot.

It shows a png snapshot file of a map from Google Maps

As you can see there is a red pin set by Google Maps in the mid of the Lake. Since Google Maps does not support setting additional Pins by user I want to do that manually.

Therefore I created a stand-alone Pin with transparent background.

However when I paste this pin into the existing map the background is not transparent but white (see second pin)

So again the question:
How do I insert the second pin and let the map shine through the transparent background?

Thank you
Peter

[migf1]

...
Therefore I created a stand-alone Pin with transparent background.

However when I paste this pin into the existing map the background is not transparent but white (see second pin)
...

How have you created the stand-alone pin with transparent background? Could you share that image too? Also, how are you trying to bring the stand-alone pin into the main map image? (what is the procedure you are following?)

EDIT:
For this particular case and with PSP 2020, isolating a copy of the pin to a new layer is pretty easy:
https://gyazo.com/d04f83e52b3b224eacd8cd3855d2e372

1. Select the pin (the Smart Selection Brush does not exist in PSP X2, the version listed in your profile, but should be easy to trace it with another selection tool, say the Freehand selection setting its type to Point to Point, or Edge Seeker, or Smart Edge).

2. Switch to the Pick tool, click on the selection to promote a copy of it as a new layer, and move it around

[hartpaul]

Pity you did not post the examples to start with , would have saved some effort.
Can you post a sample of your standalone pin as that is the main problem.

[pstein]

Ok, here is the PNG file (hope it will not be auto-changed during upload)

pin transparent.png (1.17 KiB) Viewed 2449 times

[pstein]

BTW: I am using PSP X2 (if this matters)

[Ravelli]

I get the described issue when I copy&paste a PNG from a different application into PSP (CTRL+C > CTRL+V, aka using the Clipboard). But it works correct, when I drag&drop the PNG at first into PSP, so it opens as separate file, who's one layer I copy&paste into the file where I want to have it.

[Ravelli]

your PNG has 256 colors only, probably a particular color is defined as alpha channel, which does not get detected initially, but hitting SHIFT+V should enable transparency on your file.

edit: unfortunately, my screenshot is in German only, but should be enough to show you the menu path: https://snipboard.io/dzxc5K.jpg

[migf1]

Well this is not our fault, it is Corel's outdated way of handling indexed and non-indexed images with transparency in PSP, even in version 2020.

In short Peter...
0. load the stand-alone pin in PSP
1. go to File -> Export -> PNG Optimizer
2. activate the Transparency tab
3. using the Dropper tool set the background color of the image in the "Areas that match this color" section
4. Hit OK to save the image again (specify a different name, just in case)

This new png image should be ok now. Use that one into your main map image.

Btw, unless you have a specific reason for creating & saving the pin as a palette-indexed image, it is a better idea to create it as full 8-bit non-indexed image and save it with the transparency in the alpha channel.

[LeviFiction]

Completely unrelated, but Google's My Maps will let you put pins anywhere you want

[Ken Berry]

For those unaware of this specialized version of Google Maps, Google My Maps is described by Google as follows:

Google My Maps is your way to keep track of the places that matter to you. Easily make custom maps to remember your favorite places, explore new cities, or plan great vacations.

You can get it as an app in Play Store https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... .m4b&hl=en or set one up or access one you have made immediately at https://www.google.com/maps/d/

You can also get Help for it at https://support.google.com/mymaps/?hl=en#topic=3188329

[pstein]

Thank you for trying to help.
But I found another solution:

I have to setup foreground and background color in "Materials" subpane to white.
Then it works.

...very strange

[migf1]

I'm glad you solved it Peter (although I cannot reproduce the solution in PSP2020).

On a related note, PSP have issues with transparency in palette-indexed png images, which usually become apparent when trying to directly copy & paste such images from the web to PSP. If they are palette-indexed png's, then no matter if the transparency is indexed (single-color transparency) or in alpha-channel, PSP will show transparent areas as a solid color.

If the transparency is indexed (single color) we can view it by turning on: Image -> Palette -> View Palette Transparency. We can then re-save the image, as I suggested to Peter a few posts earlier. However, if the transparency is in the alpha channel, then we are pretty much screwed.. nothing we can do (other than elevating the image colors and trying to re-create the transparent areas from scratch).

Those issues exists since forever, and apparently Corel simply does not care. Every other program I have tried, handles all cases correctly.

Levi explains it in this topic: https://forum.corel.com/viewtopic.php?f=56&t=46047

Lastly, I have no idea if, how and when these options do somthing: http://prntscr.com/tem3yn