smooth text on transparent background

I'm trying to create some navigation buttons in gif format for a website with transparency because the background image it's being placed over has a gradient. I've tried just about everything to make the text look smooth (anti-aliasing, matte) but it always comes out jagged. When I tried without a transparency and put in a solid color background, the text looks smooth like it should be (but it then detracts from the gradient background). I'm just about to give up and change the background to a solid color, but thought I'd ask first if there's a workaround.

in article IYfic.13857015$, Nihil at
wrote on 04/23/2004 2:33 PM:

I'm trying to create some navigation buttons in gif format for a website with transparency because the background image it's being placed over has a gradient. I've tried just about everything to make the text look smooth (anti-aliasing, matte) but it always comes out jagged. When I tried without a transparency and put in a solid color background, the text looks smooth like it should be (but it then detracts from the gradient background). I'm just about to give up and change the background to a solid color, but thought I'd ask first if there's a workaround.

Save a hunk of the background in the button so that it matches up with the area that it will be over.

That is the only way to have buttons on a gradient and have smooth edges on the button.