How do you create a transparent cut out?

Post your tips & tricks here for creating slide shows with ProShow Producer. This could include suggestions for style and content in addition to working with the software itself
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How do you create a transparent cut out?

Postby DJaseck » Thu Jan 16, 2014 12:40 pm

It's me again! I can create some artwork with a transparent cutout in Photoshop but when I place the artwork in PSP, the cutout returns to solid white and the layer under it cannot show throw. How can I make a 2nd layer show through the cutout? I can't seem to find any provision for making background transparent in PSP. Thanks

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Re: How do you create a transparent cut out?

Postby osharr » Thu Jan 16, 2014 1:27 pm

Make the cut out and save as a PNG file.
If it ain't broke , don't fix it !

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Re: How do you create a transparent cut out?

Postby DJaseck » Thu Jan 16, 2014 2:18 pm

osharr....Thanks so much, that did it. Another teachable moment for me. All the years in Photoshop, first time I ever saved a file as a png, go figure!...Dave

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Re: How do you create a transparent cut out?

Postby osharr » Thu Jan 16, 2014 4:52 pm

Dave, it should be the same for a psd file.
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Re: How do you create a transparent cut out?

Postby gpsmikey » Thu Jan 16, 2014 5:45 pm

Along the same lines, Proshow does not understand alpha channels in video - you have to create a mask "alpha" and use both videos together.

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Re: How do you create a transparent cut out?

Postby im42n8 » Thu Jan 16, 2014 5:52 pm

You can save it as a Tiff too... (PSD format is a variation of the Tiff specification).

Dale
What's New: Tools for ProShow: v11.42a Access ProShow capabilities Photodex doesn't provide (For PSG & PSP).
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Dale....

Postby DJaseck » Thu Jan 16, 2014 6:31 pm

Hi Dale...I tried one twice saved as a tiff and it does not work. PSD and PNG work ok. This is just an exercise, so not that important, but would like to know for sure I am not doing something with the tiff, btw, there are no photoshop layers just the template, the cutout is still there in Photoshop, but blocks when added to PSP

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Re: How do you create a transparent cut out?

Postby im42n8 » Thu Jan 16, 2014 7:36 pm

TIFF supports transparency. Tiff supports layers. Tiff is also used for fax images. Tiff existed before PNG was even a concept. JPG does NOT support transparency or layers. PNG supports layers and transparency. With Tiff (like with PSD or PNG), if you save with a background, you most likely will not have any transparency...

Dale
What's New: Tools for ProShow: v11.42a Access ProShow capabilities Photodex doesn't provide (For PSG & PSP).
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Re: How do you create a transparent cut out?

Postby DJaseck » Thu Jan 16, 2014 8:50 pm

You are right, my problem when I went to save as Tiff, I did not check save as transparency while saving. Thanks for setting me straight...Dave

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Re: How do you create a transparent cut out?

Postby heckydog » Fri Jan 17, 2014 5:55 am

im42n8 wrote: . . . . .. PNG supports layers and transparency. . . . .

Dale


I don't believe PNG supports layers. You can take a multi-layer project and save it as a single layer PNG with transparency but you won't be able to take that saved file and open it like you would a psd or tiff file with the layers intact.

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Re: How do you create a transparent cut out?

Postby im42n8 » Fri Jan 17, 2014 7:33 am

Believe away ... most apps don't provide layers in PNG to have multiple layers. Saving to that format results in a flattened graphic. The native format for Fireworks (from Adobe) is "PNG" ... and yes, PNG has layers just like the Photoshop PSD format. Yes, the PNG format supports layers. And, those layers are present upon re-opening the file. But, you need a program that supports the layers. I believe Photoshop does import the PNG file made in Fireworks with the layers still intact...

Dale
What's New: Tools for ProShow: v11.42a Access ProShow capabilities Photodex doesn't provide (For PSG & PSP).
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Re: How do you create a transparent cut out?

Postby debngar » Fri Jan 17, 2014 7:59 am

im42n8 wrote:Believe away ... most apps don't provide layers in PNG to have multiple layers. Saving to that format results in a flattened graphic. The native format for Fireworks (from Adobe) is "PNG" ... and yes, PNG has layers just like the Photoshop PSD format. Yes, the PNG format supports layers. And, those layers are present upon re-opening the file. But, you need a program that supports the layers. I believe Photoshop does import the PNG file made in Fireworks with the layers still intact...

Dale


Photoshop png files support working in layers while editing the file, but once it's saved as a png file (similar to saving as a jpg), the layers are collapsed and gone forever. They are simply not there any longer once the png file is reopened. At least this is the way it has been up to Photoshop CS 5.5 which is the version I'm using. If something has changed, then I stand corrected.

See the answer by the Adobe's own staff person in this thread in the Adobe Community forum website.

http://forums.adobe.com/thread/604456
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Re: How do you create a transparent cut out?

Postby im42n8 » Fri Jan 17, 2014 8:34 am

As I said Debbie, Photoshop imports Fireworks PNGs that have layers. I was incorrect however, when I said the layers remained intact ... Photoshop flattens the PNG upon import. I never said a thing about Photoshop editing a PNG file with Layers nor about it saving PNG files with layers. However, I DID mention that FIREWORKS has a native format of PNG and and that the layers in a Fireworks PNG file are NOT collapsed upon saving (though you can collapse them if desired). As I said, opening a Fireworks PNG file in Fireworks reveals intact layers.

The PNG format does support layers as Fireworks demonstrates. However, as I said, most other applications (other than Fireworks) treat PNG files as flattened files. I was only pointing out that PNG supports layers (even if most other applications don't support layers in a PNG) despite assertions to the contrary...

Dale
What's New: Tools for ProShow: v11.42a Access ProShow capabilities Photodex doesn't provide (For PSG & PSP).
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Re: How do you create a transparent cut out?

Postby DJaseck » Fri Jan 17, 2014 10:30 am

Debbie....Dale is right. I created a cutout in a test image and saved it as a png file placed it in PSP and added an image under it's layer and it works. But that's the extent of what I know about png files. All the years in photoshop, never used that file format...Dave

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Re: How do you create a transparent cut out?

Postby debngar » Fri Jan 17, 2014 11:13 am

DJaseck wrote:Debbie....Dale is right. I created a cutout in a test image and saved it as a png file placed it in PSP and added an image under it's layer and it works. But that's the extent of what I know about png files. All the years in photoshop, never used that file format...Dave


Hi Dave,

Since you spoke of using Photoshop, I felt it prudent to stick to that tool and addressed the comment about png file layers being flattened when reopening a PNG file using Photoshop.

My comment was not related or pointed to Producer. But I'll address it now.

The issue about not being able to reopen a PNG file and seeing it's multiple layers again using Photoshop is different than whether PNG image files can be used in ProShow Producer. ProShow has supported the use of PNG (transparency) file format ever since I can remember and they can be placed in any number of slide layers. The term "layers" in Producer is a reference to slide layers of images, which is not quite the same as PNG image file layers in Photoshop. What is seen in ProShow is the flattened PNG image when used in a slide layer.

The initial problem was that the area needing to be transparent in the PNG file was not saved as transparent and is why the other slide layers were not visible in ProShow. Once the white area was replaced with transparency and saved as a PNG file as Osharr explained, other images under PNG slide layer in Producer are visible. Sounds like you have it figured out now. :D

Hope that makes sense.
Debbie
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