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OddballBen
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27 Nov 2007, 11:56 pm

How do you create an avatar with a clear background so that the color of the avatar background is the same as the forum background?

Image<--clear background.......white background-->Image

Also, I'm using Microsoft paint to make my avatar picture, is there a better program to use?



KBABZ
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28 Nov 2007, 3:55 am

Ahh, this. I had trouble with this as well.

The background of the Blue Smiley is a special colour known as Alpha, which isn't any colour. Thus, it's transparent. Paint doesn't support painting in Alpha. Photoshop does, however it costs a lot. A suitable alternative is by using GIMP, which you can download for free (Google it).

Also, to retain image quality, you'll want the image to be in .png format.


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alex
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28 Nov 2007, 7:22 am

KBABZ wrote:
Ahh, this. I had trouble with this as well.

The background of the Blue Smiley is a special colour known as Alpha, which isn't any colour. Thus, it's transparent. Paint doesn't support painting in Alpha. Photoshop does, however it costs a lot. A suitable alternative is by using GIMP, which you can download for free (Google it).

Also, to retain image quality, you'll want the image to be in .png format.


although IE only correctly displays indexed color transparencies so it shouldn't be in RGB format. If you don't understand how to convert a png from rgb to indexed colors, use the GIF format because it only supports indexed colors.


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OddballBen
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28 Nov 2007, 6:55 pm

Thanks for the advice. :D

most of that went over my head, though. This might take me a while :?



Raph522
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28 Nov 2007, 8:13 pm

There are probably better ways, Im not good with gimp either :?
but here is how I do it.

1. Get gimp : http://gimp.org/

2. Zoom in on future avatar (after opening the picture, prefer to be a .PNG image instead of a .JPG because .JPG makes it fuzzy)
Click for step two picture

3. Make a selection box over a white area, do not include any of the picture in it.
Click for step three picture

4. Select color to alpha and say ok. This makes that box disappear to a different background/section is transparent.
Click for step four picture

5. Reselect the selection button and pull it over the entire image.
Click for step five picture

6. Erase the white parts, and use a good brush size. Small for small areas, big for large areas of background.
Double click the eraser button for the brush selections. If you click hard edge on the scroll down part where you have the brushes it erases better too, without it it doesnt make it completely transparent.
Click for step six picture 1
Click for step six picture 2

7. click "Save as" and save it as a .GIF. If you save it as something else it won’t stay transparent.
Click for step seven picture

It may go to some other box >_> if it does click export and save.

You can do larger areas with step 3 and 4, it makes it quicker with some images but harder with others.

Image
and
Image
It works, at least...