Hi there
I have a problem regarding the transparency of layers [CS2], and I am going to describe it as precise as possible. Until now, I figured out most things about Photoshop myself, but this time I have no clue even after searching the help, google, many FAQs and forums.
This is the situation: I have an image, for example, a PNG with a smooth transparency. When I open the file in Photoshop, there is one [Background] layer that contains all the information about color and transparency of every pixel, nothing special. What I want to do is quite simple: I want to edit the current transparency of the image.
In The GIMP, that is no problem. Right click the layer, select New Mask, and then Mask From Alpha-Channel [or something like that]. The program moves [not copies] the transparency of the selected layer to a newly created mask, ready for editing. 'Moves' means, that the initial transparency information that is stored in the image layer itself, is removed, that means all the pixels are fully opaque and only the layer mask now contains the transparency information. So I edit that mask, then apply it and save again.
In Photoshop, I have not found such a function, so I had to find another way. Right click the layer thumbnail and Select Layer Transparency. Create new Layer Mask. The layer mask I have just created is okay, like in GIMP, it now contains the transparency information I need to edit. But as soon as you take a closer look, you will notice that the pixels which were semi-transparent before creating the layer mask from the layer transparency, are slightly more transparent. Why? The initial image layer is semi-transparent and the layer mask also. Then I edit the mask as I wish, but before I can flatten the image and save, I have to turn off the initial transparency information of the image layer, thus making all the pixels fully opaque, because I want to replace the old alpha channel with the one from my layer mask, not merging both. But how to remove the transparency of a layer and slightly make it fully visible ? This is my not-so-smart way: I duplicate the layer again and again, until even a pixel that was 1 % opaque is now fully visible. But isn't there another way? I guess so ...
Thanks in advance |
