Cropping and using Transparency

Module Design
1

After cropping a round image (token/marker) how do you go about making the ouside area of the image transparent?
I am using GIMP 2 and my images are saved as a PNG image.

Thanks

3

Thus spake Extralean:

After cropping a round image (token/marker) how do you go about making
the ouside area of the image transparent?
I am using GIMP 2 and my images are saved as a PNG image.

Thanks

Add a transparent layer. Put that below the layer with the image. Select
and copy the part you want to be opaque from the original layer. Paste that
into the transparent layer. Delete the original layer.

–
J.

4

Probably seems more complicated than it really is and would be a lot simpler to understand with an example.
Add a transparent layer? This is probably located in the layer selection of GIMP 2 which has quite a variety of choices
Put that below the layer with the image?
Select and copy the part you want to be opaque from the original layer?
Paste into the transparent layer?
Delete the original layer?

5

Thus spake Extralean:

Probably seems more complicated than it really is and would be a lot
simpler to understand with an example.

cafesuccess.blogspot.com/2006/09 … arent.html

–
J.

6

Tried following the instructions but the instructions are for an older version of GIMP and the new program does not exactly do what it shown in the tutorial. For instance, layering does not show me two seperate images as shown in the diagram.

7

Thus spake Extralean:

Tried following the instructions but the instructions are for an older
version of GIMP and the new program does not exactly do what it shown in
the tutorial. For instance, layering does not show me two seperate
images as shown in the diagram.

Please be more specific.

Which version of GIMP are you using? The screenshots are from 2006, so
that’s likely to be GIMP 2.2. Current GIMP is 2.6, but I see nothing in the
tutorial which wouldn’t be applicable to 2.6 as well.

To which of the 21 screenshots are you referring when you say “as shown in
the diagram”? Where is the first point at which you’re no longer able to
follow the directions?

–
J.

8

I use Gimp 2.2 if the image I’m working on needs complex editing and multiple layers to get it right, but for the majority of my image manipulation I use PhotoFiltre http://photofiltre.en.softonic.com/. One of the best freeware graphics programs out there, IMHO.

Setting transparency is just two clicks away using PhotoFiltre (it’s the tenth icon on the top toolbar).

9

Almost got it with Photofilter. The contour is transparent, but how do you make the black border less apparent?

10

In GIMP:

  • Open the existing image
  • create a new layer
  • move the new (transparent/empty) layer below the main layer (probably labeled “Background”)
  • select the part of the main layer (with the image) you want to be transparent
  • delete the selected portion of the main layer (when you do this you should see a checkerboard pattern and not the background color in that selected area)
  • from the Layers menu either flatten the image or merge down the main layer into the (fully transparent) bottom layer
  • save the image as a PNG