I have a cpt image that has a single object with transparency applied as a gradient from 100 to 0 via the interactive transparency tool. I would like to export this as a transparent png for web use. However, photopaint x4 doesn't seem to allow me to do this - I get a message that object(s) will be merged, and then no option to maintain the transparency.

My workaround is to save it as a psd from photopaint, open in photoshop, and then use photoshop's export for the web. But there must be a direct way to do it in x4, right?

Island:

I have a cpt image that has a single object with transparency applied as a gradient from 100 to 0 via the interactive transparency tool. I would like to export this as a transparent png for web use. However, photopaint x4 doesn't seem to allow me to do this - I get a message that object(s) will be merged, and then no option to maintain the transparency.

It's a semi-false warning. :-) See attached. note that in some ver of PP you need to "save as" instead of export for masked button option to appear in dialog. The reality is that PNG's support a flattened image with one 8-bit alpha channel. So the file IS being merged to a single background in a technical sense.

Island:

My workaround is to save it as a psd from photopaint, open in photoshop, and then use photoshop's export for the web. But there must be a direct way to do it in x4, right?

The best way is to use CorelDRAW, for the reason that PP influences the final content upon export during the flattening process. It's odd and it took time to wrap my own head around it. see my upcoming post...

FYI the PNG exported below from PP is a linear transparency, there is no "background" in the file, and it can be unmasked or masked (same exported result).

Bottom line: Draw exports are pure. I always recommend Draw for exports of this nature. Esp. for creating web components. I get perfection, including outside edges without antialising which I covered 4 years ago here:

notice the barfy white color in the PP export. Draw doesn't create this in it's PNG's.

From my experience, merging with background is not necessary, but either way, the quality of the export is poor.  If I feather the edges of a square, create mask from layer, then export to transparent png, it works, but  there's an ugly white haze in the feathered area which makes this unusable in Photopaint.  The result is the same flattened or left as layer before export.

yep...

Brian, a Cnews reader, tried my steps and provided this excellent example that shows the difference.

This anomaly has been in PP since at least v. 9, but most wouldn't realize it since the damage is more or less apparent on an image by image basis. The background color that the PNG is placed against later also contributes to the awareness of it or lack thereof.

Note that I tried something similar with TIFF export, no problem in that format.

KuttyJoe:

From my experience, merging with background is not necessary, but either way, the quality of the export is poor.  If I feather the edges of a square, create mask from layer, then export to transparent png, it works, but  there's an ugly white haze in the feathered area which makes this unusable in Photopaint.  The result is the same flattened or left as layer before export.

Hello Mr. Jeff,

I have no idea what you guy's are doing different, but there is no white haze anywhere to be found in my transparent PNG's, I tryed anyway I knew. Perhaps this issue is system dependant?

The file I included here is the tranparent PNG on a black background.

here is the original transparent PNG file http://www.alfredky.com/pp/test.png

Hmmm here is another idea...

Alfred:

Hello Mr. Jeff,

I have no idea what you guy's are doing different, but there is no white haze anywhere to be found in my transparent PNG's, I tryed anyway I knew. Perhaps this issue is system dependant?

Hi Foster,

Sending out of Draw, no problem.

But there is always a problem when saving from PP... the change is noticeable only when comparing the difference with what Draw sends out for the same image. And, the damage may or may not be critical, depending on the range of transparency. That's why it's so elusive. For ex, a 3 px feathered mask, not a deal breaker. A wide spanning transp - much more noticeable for the anomaly.

I noticed this in V. 9 days when importing PNG's from PP into Flash, something didn't seem right.

FosterCoburn:

Alfred,

I've never run into the problem either and rarely does a day go by when I
don't have a transparent PNG to create.

HI A,

here is your test file from the site compared to the one embedded in post below.

I have some hope for a fix, since export transp. TIFFS from PP doesn't add the haze.

Alfred:

Hello Mr. Jeff,

I have no idea what you guy's are doing different, but there is no white haze anywhere to be found in my transparent PNG's, I tryed anyway I knew. Perhaps this issue is system dependant?

Take this same transparent image (test.png) into either Photopaint or Photoshop and put a black background behind it on a separate layer and you'll see that it has the same haze which is typical of all Photopaint transparent gifs.

You mean Gifs or Tiffs? I suspect Tif, since GIF's are only 1 bit transp. :-)

Alfred's test file won't work, since it's already tainted from the first export.

Tiff's are OK. I was worried this problem might be for all exports of this nature, but this isn't the case.

Try the attached "fresh" CPT test file above:

export direct from PP to both tiff and PNG. Ignore "objects with be merged with background" dialogs.

A. Don't mask anything. pick "none" for transp. in PNG export dialog, since it's already floating over nothing.

Note: if you;

flatten and use mask with export to PNG

don't flatten and use mask with export to PNG

same result as sentence A above. So, whether the object is masked or not - merged or not - over CPT without a background, same poor result.

import the tiff and PNG into Draw, you'll see Tiff's are good.

KuttyJoe:

...it has the same haze which is typical of all Photopaint transparent gifs.

here's the diff with the fresh test file. Generated fresh inside PP, exported to both formats and imported into Draw.

There is something else going on here, my original test file which is sitting here on my desktop works perfect, I can load it in PP a hundred times, place a black background behind and it looks good. Now the uploaded test file looks like your examples after I download the file from my server, there is something going on between the original file and the uploaded version, however the only thing I did to it was upload it to the server.

Well I don't know, have to play with it some more!