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Set darker transparent checkerboard background color


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Add a setting to Preferences -> User Interface that allows you to set a darker checkerboard background for transparency. How you do it is up to you. It can be a slider or a menu of preset choices. I have attached an image of how photoshop does it (in an old version).

When it is white, it's hard to work with art that is white. I am aware of workarounds like adding a fill layer. I do not want a workaround.

Screen Shot 2018-08-27 at 5.42.56 PM.png

Screen Shot 2018-08-27 at 5.44.22 PM.png

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21 minutes ago, gafvert said:

Was just looking for this, is there really no such option in 1.8.3 either? I'm working with texture files that are white symbols on transparent background, and it's very hard to see anything with the light tile transparency background.

No, there's no setting for that. But perhaps you could put an appropriately colored rectangle underneath your symbols, rather than having the transparency checkerboard. That would let you see them.

-- Walt
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I made a similar request recently.

I have some visual impairments and making the existing grid darker won't make a great deal of difference, except to hide a different set of graphic elements.  For me, what would be useful would be being about to set both colours used in the transparency grid (and you could easily have grey and dark grey in that) and being able to change the SIZ of the squares in the grid.

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+1 ... want to be able to distinguish between white design objects without stroke and the transparent background which pretty much just looks white. Without a stroke, it's very difficult to visually position a design onto a white shape behind it. Adding a stroke for just the purpose of design alignment is risky because you have to remember to then remove the stroke. Desktop Windows version, if it matters.

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2 hours ago, LuvMyDesignTools said:

and the transparent background which pretty much just looks white

If you're not clearly seeing the checkerboard, that may indicate your monitor's brightness is adjusted too high, or the contrast is too low. Adjusting them has fixed that issue for other users.

-- Walt
Designer, Photo, and Publisher V1 and V2 at latest retail and beta releases
PC:
    Desktop:  Windows 11 Pro, version 23H2, 64GB memory, AMD Ryzen 9 5900 12-Core @ 3.00 GHz, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 

    Laptop:  Windows 11 Pro, version 23H2, 32GB memory, Intel Core i7-10750H @ 2.60GHz, Intel UHD Graphics Comet Lake GT2 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU.
iPad:  iPad Pro M1, 12.9": iPadOS 17.4.1, Apple Pencil 2, Magic Keyboard 
Mac:  2023 M2 MacBook Air 15", 16GB memory, macOS Sonoma 14.4.1

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A very basic, quick test to check monitor colours, brightness, contrast

http://www.w4zt.com/screen/

 

Windows also has an inbuilt display calibration function

Search for "calibrate display colour" in Windows 

(Windows 11, I assume it's the same search phrase on Windows 10)

 

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22 hours ago, walt.farrell said:

If you're not clearly seeing the checkerboard, that may indicate your monitor's brightness is adjusted too high, or the contrast is too low.

... or Color profile for monitor in OS is wrong.

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2 hours ago, LuvMyDesignTools said:

I was able to make some changes to be able to see it now.

For users with a similar problem, it might be interesting and beneficial to know what changes you've made.

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Dell OptiPlex 7060, i5-8500 3.00 GHz, 16 GB, Intel UHD Graphics 630, Dell P2417H 1920 x 1080, Windows 11 Pro, Version 23H2, Build 22631.3155.
Dell Latitude E5570, i5-6440HQ 2.60 GHz, 8 GB, Intel HD Graphics 530, 1920 x 1080, Windows 11 Pro, Version 23H2, Build 22631.3155.
Intel NUC5PGYH, Pentium N3700 2.40 GHz, 8 GB, Intel HD Graphics, EIZO EV2456 1920 x 1200, Windows 10 Pro, Version 21H1, Build 19043.2130.

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It was probably unique to my ancient AMD Catalyst Control Center. But contrast setting was at 100. Lowered it as a test and put it back to 100 where it was and the transparency was suddenly visible. Obviously the same value should produce the same results, but with old hardware, sometimes unexpected results just happen. That said, I decided to make the transparency grid additionally visible and moved my contrast setting to 90.

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  • 7 months later...
On 8/28/2018 at 8:48 AM, ExplodingJay said:

Add a setting to Preferences -> User Interface that allows you to set a darker checkerboard background for transparency. How you do it is up to you. It can be a slider or a menu of preset choices. I have attached an image of how photoshop does it (in an old version).

When it is white, it's hard to work with art that is white. I am aware of workarounds like adding a fill layer. I do not want a workaround.

Screen Shot 2018-08-27 at 5.42.56 PM.png

Screen Shot 2018-08-27 at 5.44.22 PM.png

Yes please!  I need this feature too. Otherwise I'm creating temporary layers beneath just to see what I'm working on.

 

On 4/21/2020 at 1:33 AM, snugsound said:

+1. There are scenarios where this is absolutely essential, like when working on white icons.

Agreed. White icons are very difficult to work with as it stands. This is a very common problem for game developers.

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On Mac, it's possible to "hack" the app resources and replace the checkerboard PNGs. (Yep, been there done that.)
However, only proceed if you know what you are doing. You have been warned.
forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/177152-transparent-background-both-designer-photo-and-publisher-v2/&do=findComment&comment=1019756

 

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