Why is Export Transparent Image Disabled?

DC
Posted By
Doug_Coulter
Nov 20, 2006
Views
576
Replies
13
Status
Closed
Hello all – I have created an image within CS2 and I now need to export it with a transparent background. My background layer is transparent, but the Help | Export Transparent Image feature is disabled. When I open other images, it is enabled – but I cannot figure out why it is disabled for the ONE image I need to export (other than Murphy’s Law :)!)

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

….Doug
Related Tags
disable export image transparency

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MD
Michael_D_Sullivan
Nov 20, 2006
Use Save for Web and save as a GIF.
DC
Doug_Coulter
Nov 20, 2006
Thanks for the super-fast response Michael…

This worked as described. My only issue is that I really thought this would export the image to the clipboard (since my destination application can only accept images this way). Is there anyway to have the image exported to the clipboard for use in other apps?

Thanks again…

….Doug
EH
Ed_Hannigan
Nov 20, 2006
Select All>Copy.
DC
Doug_Coulter
Nov 20, 2006
Thanks for the reply Ed – but when I do this and paste it into my application, it comes with a White background (no longer transparent)… even if I try it on the image that I exported using the "Export Transparent Image" feature.
EH
Ed_Hannigan
Nov 20, 2006
What is the application? Maybe you need a Clipping Path?
DC
Doug_Coulter
Nov 20, 2006
The application is from Rockwell Software called RSView… it is a human machine interface software package.

What is a Clipping Path?
EH
Ed_Hannigan
Nov 20, 2006
Clipping Path would be more for a Page Layout program. Maybe the thing to do is Ctrl-click on the layer thumbnail to make a selection of the object only and Copy that.
DC
Doug_Coulter
Nov 20, 2006
Ed – my image has several layers. What does CTRL-clicking a layer actually do (does it select everything on that layer)?
EH
Ed_Hannigan
Nov 21, 2006
If it has several layers it will not copy to the clipboard in that form. You could Copy Merged and get a flattened version. Aside from that, I don’t know anything about how RSView works, so I can’t help. Perhaps some other users of that software can steer you right. Is Photoshop often used with it?

I wonder if a vector app like Illustrator would be more appropriate.
P
Phosphor
Nov 21, 2006
Do you know for sure what format RSView needs to use for those transparent images?

There are several common formats used to create software interface widgets that aren’t all that common to most Photoshop users.

Are you sure it doesn’t use an image (or set of images) in conjunction with a separate mask file?

This is what you need to find out first.

Could be a simple Save out of Photoshop isn’t going to work.
L
LenHewitt
Nov 21, 2006
Or it may be that it requires an alpha channel to describe the transparency – you can check that quite easily. Load the layer transparency as a selection and the save that selection to an alpha channel and then see if it will pass via the clipboard into your application as a transparent image,
DC
Doug_Coulter
Nov 21, 2006
Thanks again for all of the help and suggestions – I really do appreciate it.

As far as what RSView32 needs for a transparent image – I am not really sure. I have spoken to Rockwell’s technical support and they are beyond worthless.

I actually tried an ActiveX image control that has a property to specifiy a masking/transparency color. For the test, my RSView background was blue, while the background of the image I was importing was yellow. When I 1st selected the image (without selecting a masking color), it displayed as expected with the yellow background. When I then entered the yellow color as the masking color, the background of the image changed to White again within RSView! AGH!!

Len – that is an interesting suggestion – how do I save the selection to an Alpha Channel?
L
LenHewitt
Nov 21, 2006
Doug,

how do I save the selection to an Alpha Channel?<<

Just go to Select>Load section and choose the Layer transparency.

Then Select>Save Selection >To a new channel

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