[Gimp-user] Gimp Doc - Adding alpha channel

[David Gowers]

Hi!

On Sat, Dec 27, 2008 at 9:13 AM, DJ <delphitech at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Hi Gimp-user,
>
> http://docs.gimp.org/en/gimp-using-web-transparency.html
>
> How does one go from Figure 6.8 to Figure 6.9?
>
> I did a right-click to the image in Figure 6.8 and saved the PNG to
> my Desktop. I opened the PNG in Gimp and added the alpha channel per
> Step 2. Step 3 has me stumped, which is to add the soft glow and to
> get that transparent background.

Remove the background layer. Yes, I know there's not one in PNG. What
it's talking about editing with is a layered format like XCF.
The original image you see there is derived from wilbur.xcf. One image
has the background layer visible, the other invisible.

There are various methods for generating an alpha channel when you
didn't already have one.
One of these is 'color to alpha'. The rest, you'll have to find
yourself if that's not suitable.

The soft glow is just a radial gradient goldish-yellow to transparency
on the layer below Wilbur and his shadow.


David