Replacing a colour with transparency in a batch process

[piffle]

Hi all! First post and still learning after switching from a very old version of Photoshop to PSP 2020! I have a folder of images each with a single colour that I want to replace with transparency. From what I've discovered so far the PNG Optimizer seems to be the way to achieve this. I have no problem doing it manually with a single image; what I can't figure out is how to incorporate that functionality into a batch process. Any pointers appreciated; apologies if I'm being a bit dim.

[Jean-Luc]

See if this script (Remove Any Color) could help you:
https://forum.corel.com/viewtopic.php?t=65307

[LeviFiction]

EdIt: That script Jean-Luc just pointed to does the exact same thing I was just about to recommend. And it's pre-made so huge bonus.

If you're curious how the script works, read further on, but yeah my suggestion and Jean-Luc's are essentially the same so you can ignore this.

Technically the PNG optimizer actually erases the color selected from the resulting image. The result is a layer transparency. So you don't actually need to use the optimizer. You could do something like this.

1) Promote Background Layer if it's not already a full Raster Layer
2) Select All ( Ctrl + A)
3) Selections -> Modify -> Select Color Range
4) Set the values of the dialog box to
Tolerance: 1
Softness: 0
Reference Color: The color you want to remove
Subtract Color range

5) Hit OK, the selection should not have everything but the color you chose selected.
6) Selections -> Invert (now only your color is selected)
7) Edit -> Clear (Delete key)
Selections -> None ( Ctrl + D)

Your image is now in the exact same state it is when using the PNG Optimizer. This can easily be scripted by just recording the steps into a script. Then in the batch process set this script to be one of the processes performed on the image. And let the Batch Process save the image as a PNG.

[piffle]

Many thanks to both of you. The pre-written script wasn't behaving quite as I wanted so I ended up following LeviFiction's steps and recording my own script. It worked perfectly.