Need some help with publisher: placing tiffs with alpha-channels

[2:3]

Hi,

when I place an image that has one or more alpha channels (from Photoshop) in Publisher it will show the masked image.

How can I avoid this and have Publisher show the entire image without deleting the channels in the original file?

Is there a way or do I have to change all files? Thank you!

 

[2:3]

maybe I didn't describe it well. So here are examples:

The 1. and 2. image shows how images with an alpha channel are shown in Affinity Publisher. 

3. image – same image in Affinity Photo

4. image – same image in Adobe Indesign

5. image – original image in Adobe Photoshop

my question is: how can I place Tiffs that have an extra an alpha channel in Publisher?

 

[carl123]

What happens if you switch this off? (leave the other 3 on)

 

[2:3]

this happens 😞

[carl123]

Can you upload the tiff file?

[2:3]

it could be any tiff with a selection saved as an alpha channel ... here is the file reduced in size

IMG_0081.tif

[carl123]

The only way I can get the unmasked image to show in APhoto is to File > Open the image (not place). 

Deselect the Editable status on the RGB channels then Edit > Fill 

(or just paint over the image)

 

 

[lacerto]

(...)

[lepr]

5 hours ago, Lagarto said:

Unfortunately it seems Affinity Photo cannot handle Alpha transparency properly so when the alpha channel is filled there will be a white edge for the area where semitransparent pixels are located (between the masked and non-masked areas of the image).

Filling the alpha actually works correctly. The bright halos are because RGB values have been brightened by the broken TIFF importer. The TIFF importer seems to assume that the file's RGB values have been premultiplied with black where alpha is not zero, and so it un-premultiplies where alpha is not zero, hence the bright halos when alpha is filled. (Someone at Serif should have debugged this years ago!)

AP has had broken export and import of TIFF with alpha for years. TIFF export performs unsolicited premultiplying with black and TIFF import assumes the image in a file has been premultiplied. Serif is allowing multiple reported problems involving alpha to persist in the Affinity apps.

(Thankfully, import of PNG with alpha and TGA with alpha are faithful. However, the exports of all images with alpha contain black where alpha is zero because of the app's misguided document flattening process. R,G and B are being set to zero where alpha is zero in processes such as document flattening, Pixel object merging and Image object rasterising. That is not to be confused with premultiplying, a process where R,G and B are changed for all values of alpha except 1.)

[2:3]

 

@carl123 thank you very much for showing this!

@Lagarto thanks, yes, I do have older Photoshop Versions and could alter all those tiffs with a droplet – but I am working with Photoshop since more than 25 years (since Version 3) and there are thousands of photos with all kind of channels ...

@anon2 does that mean that at the moment A Photo does not handle this correctly? 

actually my original aim was to place Tiffs with an alpha channel to Affinity Publisher.

I showed the screenshot of Affinity Photo because then I noticed that also Affinity Photo would not handle those correctly as well.

So do you know, if there is  a way to place those tiffs in A Publisher or must I really duplicate them and get rid of the alpha channels?

Thank you all!

[lacerto]

(...)

[2:3]

what a big pity! But thank you for your help – this save me from hours of searching and trying by myself.

What makes me wonder is that there is no comment or reference on this topic in Affinity as saving selections as alpha channels is very common practise in Photoshop – so there should be many images out there with alpha channels?

[lepr]

12 minutes ago, 2:3 said:

 

@anon2 does that mean that at the moment A Photo does not handle this correctly? 

Yes, all current Affinity apps have the same broken TIFF import.

 

12 minutes ago, 2:3 said:

So do you know, if there is  a way to place those tiffs in A Publisher or must I really duplicate them and get rid of the alpha channels?

You will need to use a non-Affinity app to get the images into a state that will be handled correctly by Affinity apps.

Open the TIFF with alpha in the third party app. 
If the alpha might be needed in Affinity then export to PNG with alpha and then import that into Affinity. 
Else discard the alpha then export to PNG or TIFF without alpha and then import that into Affinity.

 

[2:3]

1 minute ago, anon2 said:

If the alpha might be needed in Affinity then export to PNG with alpha and then import that into Affinity. 
Else discard the alpha then export to PNG or TIFF without alpha and then import that into Affinity.

ok, will do so 😞

Thank you!

[2:3]

instead of png couldn't I also save those tiffs as psd – with all alpha channels. This seems to get placed correctly in Publisher and the channels could be used in Aff. Photo?

[lepr]

1 hour ago, 2:3 said:

instead of png couldn't I also save those tiffs as psd – with all alpha channels. This seems to get placed correctly in Publisher and the channels could be used in Aff. Photo?

If that is working correctly, then yes that's a good idea.

[Fixx]

15 hours ago, 2:3 said:

instead of png couldn't I also save those tiffs as psd – with all alpha channels.

That would be an easy batch conversion operation (if any conversion problems does not pop up).