Create and save image with transparent background

[GWCTas]

Hi,

 

I am new to AP. I am having trouble saving a document with a transparent background. I have created the selection and displayed the mask as transparent but then I am stuck. When I save as a PNG, the original background is still there. 

 

Can someone tell me where I am going wrong?

 

Image attached.

 

Thanks,

George

magister3.afphoto

[Lee D]

Hi GWCTas,

 

Welcome to the forums.

 

One way to do this, with your file open, click the Quick Mask icon to get your selection, now click on Select > Invert Pixel Selection. Make sure the layer is still selected and hit Delete, then ⌘D (Deselect), now you can export to PNG.

 

You may also find this video helpful.

 

Regards

 

L

[R C-R]

The first thing you need to do is select "Transparent Background" from the Document menu. Then you need to choose "Invert Pixel Selection" from the Select menu (because you have the plane selected instead of the background). If you exit Quick View at this point, & hit delete you will get the plane minus the background, but note that because the document is very low resolution, there are not enough pixels for clean edges & some things like the leading edges of the wing could use some selection refinement or feathering or some such to get a better image.

 

Hope this helps.

[GWCTas]

Hi,

 

Thanks for the replies. I had tried both suggestions but I am obviously doing something wrong. I had watched that video previously but I cannot replicate the results. E.g. I select the aircraft, then I select [layer mask] as per video but unlike the video where the background disappears and there is a transparent background, nothing changes?

 

The low resolution is due to the target for the image is a program that requires a 192x144 image. I have attached a larger image of a similar aircraft that I also tried. (PS: I cannot seem to get the same accuracy with the magic wand tool without a lot of manipulation even when the colours seem to be well contrasted).

 

I appreciate any advice/help.

 

Update: could not see where to attach an image  

[Alfred]

Update: could not see where to attach an image  

 

As an anti-spam measure, attachments are disabled for a new user's first few posts. Once attachments are enabled, pressing the 'More Reply Options' button will give you an Attach Files section below the message composition area: browse to the file that you want to attach, and then press the 'Attach This File' button.

[R C-R]

I had watched that video previously but I cannot replicate the results. E.g. I select the aircraft, then I select [layer mask] as per video but unlike the video where the background disappears and there is a transparent background, nothing changes?

From what I can tell from your magister3.afphoto file, you have selected the background, not the aircraft, & as uploaded the file is in the Refine Image/Quick Mask mode. As in the video, clicking Apply in Refine mode or exiting Quick Mask mode does not immediately make anything transparent (check the video at around the 1:04 mark).

 

At about the 1:23 mark is when the layer mask is added. Because in the video the foreground object is selected at that point, the background is masked out. Unless you invert the pixel selection (so your background is selected instead of the plane) if you did that at the same point in your workflow, the plane would be masked out.

 

It may help to watch the video again with your source file open in AP in another window, pausing the video after each step, doing the same thing in AP, & comparing the results.

[MEB]

Hi GWCTas,

Welcome to Affinity Forums :)

Regarding the file you uploaded just follow Lee D steps to get rid of the background. Then go to menu Document and check Transparent Background before exporting as PNG.

 

If you want to use the process suggested in the video instead (up to the point 1m:52s) to add a mask - again using your uploaded file as a starting point:

1- open you file

2- select the layer in the Layers panel

3- press Mask Layer button on the bottom of the Layers panel (second button counting from left) - the background of the layer will disappear

4- go to menu Document and check Transparent Background to make the white background of the document transparent

5- export the file as PNG

 

The rest of the video (from 1m:52s on) explains how to copy and paste the the selected object into to a new document and is not relevant for what you want to do in this particular case.

 

 

 

From what I can tell from your magister3.afphoto file, you have selected the background, not the aircraft, & as uploaded the file is in the Refine Image/Quick Mask mode. As in the video, clicking Apply in Refine mode or exiting Quick Mask mode does not immediately make anything transparent (check the video at around the 1:04 mark).

Hi R C-R,

The plane is selected not the background and the image has been uploaded in Quick Mask mode not Refine Selection (they are not the same thing). It'a also possible to mask the object from the Refine Selection directly making the rest of the layer transparent.

[R C-R]

Hi R C-R,

The plane is selected not the background and the image has been uploaded in Quick Mask mode not Refine Selection (they are not the same thing). It'a also possible to mask the object from the Refine Selection directly making the rest of the layer transparent.

Like I just wrote in a reply to another topic, I really need to quit posting until the coffee kicks in. I confused what I suggested in my first reply (no mask, just invert the selection & delete it) with the mask procedure from the video. Sorry for any confusion that might caused anyone else.