Alpha Channel

I'm a very peripheral Photoshop user, so please, be kind.

I have a small grayscale image that I would like to define its transparent regions. Using RGB mode, I've created an additional "Alpha1" channel, into which I've pasted a bitmap that represents my opaque (white) and transparent (black) areas, and all of the semi-transparent (grey) areas in between.

How do I translate that Alpha channel data into transparent areas in a my (only) layer?

Some rationalization for why I'm doing this: I would like to create a template document of sorts that I can paste a second layer into to be overlaid by this partially transparent layer. At which point, I'll flatten the image and output a JPEG, leaving the original document intact for the next round.

Thanks for your insights.

"Grinder" wrote in message

I'm a very peripheral Photoshop user, so please, be kind.
I have a small grayscale image that I would like to define its transparent regions. Using RGB mode, I've created an additional "Alpha1" channel, into which I've pasted a bitmap that represents my opaque (white) and transparent (black) areas, and all of the semi-transparent (grey) areas in between.

How do I translate that Alpha channel data into transparent areas in a my (only) layer?

Some rationalization for why I'm doing this: I would like to create a template document of sorts that I can paste a second layer into to be overlaid by this partially transparent layer. At which point, I'll flatten the image and output a JPEG, leaving the original document intact for the next round.

Thanks for your insights.

You're very close. One way to get what you want is:

1) open the layers palette, and alt-double click your image. This will make it into an ordinary layer, instead of a background layer.
2) Create a layer mask, click on it in the layers palette, and paste your
alpha channel into it.
3) Save this as a psd or tiff file as your semi-transparent template
4) drag this image from the layers palette onto the image which you want be
overlaid by the template.
--
Mike Russell - www.curvemeister.com

Mike Russell wrote:

"Grinder" wrote in message

I'm a very peripheral Photoshop user, so please, be kind.
I have a small grayscale image that I would like to define its transparent regions. Using RGB mode, I've created an additional "Alpha1" channel, into which I've pasted a bitmap that represents my opaque (white) and transparent (black) areas, and all of the semi-transparent (grey) areas in between.

How do I translate that Alpha channel data into transparent areas in a my (only) layer?

Some rationalization for why I'm doing this: I would like to create a template document of sorts that I can paste a second layer into to be overlaid by this partially transparent layer. At which point, I'll flatten the image and output a JPEG, leaving the original document intact for the next round.

Thanks for your insights.

You're very close. One way to get what you want is:

1) open the layers palette, and alt-double click your image. This will make it into an ordinary layer, instead of a background layer.
2) Create a layer mask, click on it in the layers palette, and paste your
alpha channel into it.
3) Save this as a psd or tiff file as your semi-transparent template
4) drag this image from the layers palette onto the image which you want be
overlaid by the template.

Thank you very much -- that was the lift I needed.