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I keep running into this problem….
I have a file with a background color layer, and a transparent layer above it with color additions.
I’m using the upper transparent layer in a 3D application, where I will layer these color additions over colors on my object in that program, so, I don’t want the background color layer, i just want to save the upper layer and preserve its transparency.
There are two ways I can think of that this could be done, but neither has worked for me.
1. save the file by some format which will preserve the transparency. The problem here is that nasty background layer. Even disabled, it still forces a background color which screws up the transparency. The only way I’ve found to get this option to work is if the background layer itself is transparent. BUT, this poses another problem. I could create a new transparent image with the same dimensions, and cut the desired transp. layers from the original file and add them on top of the new transparent background. EXCEPT, this never preserves the positioning of the copied layers — PS only looks at the non-transparent pixel info when it places the layers, so they don’t align as they did in the original file. Too bad there is no ‘fill with transparent’ option!
2. create an alpha to mask out the background (which i could use in my 3D program to eliminate the background layer). Is there any way in PS CS2 to create an alpha out of the layer itself??? I’ve found it imposible to do this accurately by any means I know (or can find in the manual), in a way which preserves degrees of transparency from my layer. It would not be a simple black and white alpha, and even if it was, there is a gradation of transparency at the edges which must be followed, and simple feathering would not be accurate.
PLEASE if anyone can help me with this it would be much appreciated. Nancy J
I have a file with a background color layer, and a transparent layer above it with color additions.
I’m using the upper transparent layer in a 3D application, where I will layer these color additions over colors on my object in that program, so, I don’t want the background color layer, i just want to save the upper layer and preserve its transparency.
There are two ways I can think of that this could be done, but neither has worked for me.
1. save the file by some format which will preserve the transparency. The problem here is that nasty background layer. Even disabled, it still forces a background color which screws up the transparency. The only way I’ve found to get this option to work is if the background layer itself is transparent. BUT, this poses another problem. I could create a new transparent image with the same dimensions, and cut the desired transp. layers from the original file and add them on top of the new transparent background. EXCEPT, this never preserves the positioning of the copied layers — PS only looks at the non-transparent pixel info when it places the layers, so they don’t align as they did in the original file. Too bad there is no ‘fill with transparent’ option!
2. create an alpha to mask out the background (which i could use in my 3D program to eliminate the background layer). Is there any way in PS CS2 to create an alpha out of the layer itself??? I’ve found it imposible to do this accurately by any means I know (or can find in the manual), in a way which preserves degrees of transparency from my layer. It would not be a simple black and white alpha, and even if it was, there is a gradation of transparency at the edges which must be followed, and simple feathering would not be accurate.
PLEASE if anyone can help me with this it would be much appreciated. Nancy J
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