B/W Transparency

BS
Posted By
Bernard Stay
Jun 3, 2005
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378
Replies
16
Status
Closed
Would someone be kind and tell me how to do this:

I have a B/W (could, I suppose be colour) file. I want to make it into a B/W transparency. That is, it has to be completely transparent in the white areas and progressively more opaque as it goes from white thro’ grey to black. This is so that I can lay it on another file showing more or less of the underlying pic. according to whether it was originally white, grey etc. to black.

I don’t know whether that’s clear, but if not Please let me know.

Thanks.
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BG
Byron Gale
Jun 3, 2005
Bernard,

Here’s ONE way..

– Open your image so that it is the Background layer.
– Press D to set your Fore/Background colors to B/W.
– Press CTRL-A to select all, CTRL-C to copy to clipboard, CTRL-D to deselect.
– Create a new Solid Color adjustment layer. (I used black, but any color other than white will do — this layer is only being used for its layer mask)
– Hold ALT and click on the Solid Color layer’s white mask thumbnail – your image will turn white now that you are viewing the layer mask. – Press CTRL-V to paste onto the mask – you will now see a b/w version of your image.
– ALT-click the mask thumbnail again. CTRL-click the mask thumbnail to load the transparency mask. CTRL-SHIFT-I to invert the selection. – Create a new, blank layer – press ALT-BACKSPACE to fill the selection with your foreground color (black). CTRL-D to deselect.

This layer is now what you were seeking — a black/transparent rendition of your original image. Turn off visibility of the other layers to see it.

This works because of using the layer mask, which treats black as tranparent, and white as opaque, with grays varying in transparency. Pasting the image onto the layer mask allows you to load the transparency mask, which is then inverted, to create the final result.

HTH,

Byron
BS
Bernard Stay
Jun 3, 2005
Thanks Byron. Jolly complicated isn’t it? but if that’s the way to do it, that’s what I’ll do. I would have thought though that Photoshop would have had such an elementary facility built in, wouldn’t you?
BG
Byron Gale
Jun 3, 2005
"Bernard Stay" wrote
Thanks Byron. Jolly complicated isn’t it? but if that’s the way to do it,
that’s what I’ll do. I would have thought though that Photoshop would have had such an elementary facility built in, wouldn’t you?

Bernard,

You’re welcome.

"Photoshop" MAY have such a facility built in… my response was geared toward accomplishing the request using "Photoshop Elements", which is an entirely separate application – based on the parent program – which shares some capabilities and methods.

Since you posted in the "Photoshop Elements" forum, I presumed you to be using that application. The steps I gave would certainly work in "Photoshop", but if you are using THAT application, there may, indeed, be a more elegant solution.

Byron
WE
Wendy_E_Williams
Jun 4, 2005
I’m sure that I have seem an action for Photoshop that does this … but I can’t find it 🙁

I’ll let you know if I do track it down 🙂

Wendy
BS
Bernard Stay
Jun 4, 2005
Byron (et al). Yes, I was talking about Elements. Is there a way to ask Adobe to include a ‘make transparency’ facility in Elements sometime?

Thanks.
CW
Colin Walls
Jun 4, 2005
All that is needed is layer masks, which PS has and PSE does not. However, they are a readily available add on – from here for example: <http://www.cavesofice.org/~grant/Challenge/Tools/index.html>
WE
Wendy_E_Williams
Jun 4, 2005
Bernard,

It would be useful it there was a menu where you could select make all white (or black) transparent 🙂

You could try posting it in the "Photoshop Elements 3 features requests" … that is at the top of the forum above all the messages 🙂

Wendy
CW
Colin Walls
Jun 4, 2005
Is there a way to take an image [B&W] and "paste" it into the layer mask [of an adjustment layer, for example]? I can do it with some fiddly cloning, but I can’t figure out an easy way. There must be one …

This would be an elegant way to achieve the OP’s goal.
CW
Colin Walls
Jun 4, 2005
Bernard:

I had another idea that might get you the result you’re after: Place the B&W on a layer above the image that you wish to "mask". Change th eblend mode of the B&W layer to "Multiply" or "Darken".

Do either of these get you the effect that you want?
BS
Bernard Stay
Jun 4, 2005
Colin

Yes! ‘Multiply’ in particular works rather well, and the effect in colour is quite exciting: Take a colour pic., duplicate layer, select duplicate, Filter -> Adjustments ->Invert. Have both layers show. Then set mode of Duplicate Layer to ‘Multiply’. Select Duplicate and move it slightly to L or R. Adjust Contrast etc. I like it.
BG
Byron Gale
Jun 4, 2005
"Colin Walls" wrote
Is there a way to take an image [B&W] and "paste" it into the layer mask

[of an adjustment layer, for example]?

Colin,

Yes. That is what I described in my original post to Bernard… I used a Solid Color adjustment layer, but any type of adjustment layer will do.

Byron
CW
Colin Walls
Jun 4, 2005
Right Byron, now I see it.

This means that I can simplify your method a bit.
1) Make solid colour layer which is black.
2) Invert the B&W image and copy to clipboard.
3) Paste to adjustment layer’s mask.
4) Lose B&W layer.
Done.
BS
Bernard Stay
Jun 5, 2005
Colin

I’m sorry I don’t follow that. Does 3) mean show black layer and paste, because if I do that I get a new layer which is not a transparency. Perhaps I don’t understand ‘mask’. Could you take me through it in beginners detail. Thanks.
CW
Colin Walls
Jun 5, 2005
Sorry in (3) I was following on from Byron’s earlier technique. You need to ALT/click on the adjustment layer in th elayers palette to reveal the [plain white] mask, then paste.
BS
Bernard Stay
Jun 5, 2005
Thanks Colin – got it. Now, is there a way do you think to make a colour transparency. If I paste a colour pic. onto a (solid colour) adjustment layer I get a b/w transparency. Can you think of a way to get a colour transparency (like a colour photo slide)?
CW
Colin Walls
Jun 5, 2005
Can you think of a way to get a colour transparency (like a colour photo slide)?

You mean, you want the top [coour] image to show through varying amounts of the underlying image depending upon how light/dark an area is? Like looking at a picture through a 35mm slide?

You might try the various blending modes…

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