Transparent background in paint. How to make a picture with an invisible background. Step-by-step instructions in Paint: how to make a transparent background
Allows you to use layers and blending modes as a basis for composing your images.
Layers
In order to try to understand “what image layers are,” let’s look at two photographs. One of them will be used as the background (or bottom layer), and the other will be used as the first layer placed above the background:
You can think of "layers" as multiple transparent slides placed in one stack. Paint.NET displays this stack of slides as if you were looking at them from above. At the same time, there is no perspective (distant layers do not decrease). In order to better understand how this works, let's look at our photo layers from the side, and not from above:
Pixels and transparency
Each layer in Paint.NET is made up of pixels that are saved in the RGBA format. The "RGB" part of the acronym refers to the colors (red, green and blue) used to convey color intensity. The “A” (Alpha) part denotes the variable used to store information about the transparency of the pixel. Alpha can range from 0 (fully transparent) to 255 (fully opaque). Other programs may use boundaries ranging from 0 to 100%.
If the pixel is transparent, then instead of its color, the color of the pixel located “under it” will be shown, that is, the color of the pixel of the lower layer. In order to display a layered image on a standard computer monitor, Paint.NET uses an alpha channel technique.
However, transparent pixels cannot be displayed on a computer monitor. In order to somehow indicate the transparency of the layer, Paint.NET uses a background resembling a chessboard image:
Transparency
If you see a background like this, it means that part of your image is transparent. The chessboard image is not part of the image. You can think of it as a virtual or "null" background layer that is always located below all other layers displayed in the Layers window.
However, as already stated, the "chessboard" is not part of the image. If you save the image, when you view it or use it in another program, there will be no checkerboard there (unless the other program also uses the checkerboard to indicate transparency).
Layers and Opacity
While each pixel has information about its transparency, each layer also has an opacity value associated with it. These two parameters are similar, and in most cases can be considered the same thing. You can think of a layer's opacity as the "alpha" value for each pixel in the layer.
For example, if we take the top layer and gradually reduce the opacity from 225 to 0, we will get the following images, showing the layers as a stack of slides and as it appears on a computer screen:
The top layer is completely opaque
The top layer is translucent
The top layer is completely transparent
Blending Modes
The layer's blending mode specifies how the layer is blended with the layer underneath it. To change the blending mode, select the desired layer in the layers window, and then open its properties. You can open the properties of a layer using a special button in the layers window or in . In any case, the following window will open:
Not all layer blending mode names are “intuitive,” so experimentation is always recommended. Each blending mode described below is applied to the two layers discussed above with the opacity level set to 255.
In the examples below, the term “composition” will be used to refer to the result of mixing the two layers in question. The "final" composition is what you see on your computer screen after applying a particular blending mode.
Normal
Standard mode is used by default. Each pixel in the layer is blended into the composition based on its opacity value. If the top layer is completely opaque, it covers the bottom layer completely. As the transparency of the top layer decreases, the bottom layer begins to show through.
Multiplication
This mode multiplies the visible colors of the bottom layer by the colors of the top layer. As a result, the image becomes darker. When white is multiplied with another color, it does not change. A similar effect is obtained by placing two slides (one on top of the other) and directing the images onto one screen.
Addition(Additive)
The color intensities of the pixels of both layers are added together. The composition is always brighter, with the exception of completely black pixels in the images.
Darkening the base (Color Burn)
Creates the effect of incineration of the lower layer under the influence of the upper one. That is, the dark areas of the top layer are used to darken the bottom. Color multiplication and saturation increase are used. The result looks very contrasty.
Lightening the base (Color Dodge)
The opposite of the previous mode - the bottom image “burns out” under the influence of the top color. When using this mode, the light areas of the top layer enhance the brightness of the bottom layer. Dark areas have no effect. That is, the greatest changes occur towards white.
Reflect
This blending mode can be used to add shine to objects or highlights.
Glow
The same as the previous mode, but as if after changing the order of layers.
Overlay
Depending on the color intensity of the layer's pixels, the Screen Dodge mode (for dark colors) or Multiply mode (for light colors) is applied.
Difference
Subtracting the top layer from the bottom. If a pixel on the top layer is white, then a pixel on the bottom layer is inverted. If a pixel on the top layer is black, then the pixel on the bottom layer does not change. If a pixel on the top layer matches the bottom, then the result is a black pixel. That is, matching colors will be black. Mismatched fragments will be colored.
Negation
At first glance, this mode is similar to the previous one, but in fact it leads to the opposite effect. Instead of darkening the color, it lightens it.
Replacement with light (Lighten)
When using this mode, only the lightest colors remain on both layers, resulting in a lighter image than normal layering.
Replacement with dark (Darken)
In this mode, pixels in a layer are placed in the resulting image only if they are darker than the corresponding pixels in another layer.
Screen Lightening
The opposite of Multiply mode in that it multiplies the color of the bottom layer with the top layer. As a result, the picture will become brighter, as if we were projecting it using two overhead projectors.
Exception (Xor)
This mode is primarily used for image analysis rather than image processing or composition.
The free Paint.NET program does not have as many features as many other graphic editors. However, you can use it to create a transparent background in a picture without much effort.
So, you need a certain object in the image to have a transparent background instead of the existing one. All methods have a similar principle: areas of the image that should be transparent are simply removed. But taking into account the characteristics of the original background, you will have to use different Paint.NET tools.
Method 1: Selection "Magic wand"
The background that you will delete must be selected so that the main content is not affected. If we are talking about an image with a white or the same type of background, devoid of various elements, then you can use the tool "Magic wand".
Method 2: Crop by selection
If we are talking about a picture with a varied background, which "Magic wand" If you can’t handle it, but the main object is more or less homogeneous, then you can select it and cut off everything else.
Adjust sensitivity if necessary. When everything you need is highlighted, just click the button "Crop to selection".
As a result, everything that was not included in the selected area will be deleted and replaced with a transparent background. All that remains is to save the image in the format "PNG".
Method 3: Select using "Lasso"
This option is convenient if you are dealing with a non-uniform background and the same main object that cannot be captured "Magic wand".
These simple methods of creating a transparent background in a picture can be used in the Paint.NET program. All you need is the ability to switch between different tools and care when selecting the edges of the desired object.
A transparent background for a picture can be useful in many places, from custom photo editing to website building or more. How to do it? Either we already have a ready-made picture, the background of which needs to be removed, or we need to draw the picture ourselves on a white sheet and remove the white background. We'll need a good Paint.net image editor. If you don't have it, then follow the download link.
There are at least 4 ways to make the background of a picture transparent:
Method number 1:
Condition:If the image is located on a white or uniform background, then it is best to use the Magic Wand tool. It is located in the toolbar, select and click on the area that we want to delete. Please note: The background should preferably be one color (or with a minimum variety of colors), otherwise the Wand will not “understand” what you want to highlight and you will have to tinker with it for a long time. The wand has a sensitivity setting. The more the background matches the color of the desired part, the less sensitivity is needed for selection.
Actions:"Open..." → "Take the picture" → "Open" (Upload the image to Paint.net) → "Magic Wand" → Click on the white background → "Edit" → "Cut". Ready. If you see a checkerboard pattern in place of the erased area, it means that it will be transparent when saved. Important! Now save the resulting image in “PNG” or “GIF” format. I recommend PNG as this format supports, unlike GIF, higher image quality, and it also allows you to save an image with a translucent background. Why not "JPEG"? Because it and other formats do not support the transparency effect and when saved, the cut out background will turn white.
Method number 2:
Condition:If we have a drawing with a multi-colored background, then a stick is not enough. The whole procedure is the same as in method number 1, but instead of a magic wand we will use a tool called "Lasso". They will have to hand-trace the area we need to leave.
Actions:Place it at any point and draw around the entire desired sector by holding down the left mouse button until we reach the starting point, then on the top panel of the program press the “Crop to selection” button. Also in some places you can correct it with an eraser.
Method number 3:
This method also deserves attention. If you don’t like the first 2 described above, then here’s what you need to do: Create a new empty layer above the image layer (“Create a new layer”). Select any color and the Line or Curve tool. In this empty layer, draw a line along the edges of the desired area and bend it along the trajectory we need. Please note: There should be no gap between the lines. And the width should not be less than 3. Once we have circled the desired area, select the “Magic Wand” and select everything inside. Without removing the selection, go to the layer with the image and press the Delete button. Now you can delete the line layer.
Method number 4:
A time-tested method of erasing the background and anything from a picture.
Condition:Any background.
Actions:"Eraser" tool→Zoom in the image→Set a small eraser radius and go!!! When you carefully erase a thin perimeter around the desired object, increase the radius of the eraser and roughly erase everything “overboard”.
Probably every user of a personal computer from time to time has to deal with the need to work with photographs or pictures. Of course, on the PC of advanced users there is probably the famous Photoshop, in which you can do any manipulation with the image. But what should those who do not have this program or who do not know how to use it do? The easiest way out of this situation is to use standard Paint. In some cases, it can successfully replace more professional and complex programs. In this article you will find answers to questions about whether to remove it from Paint or change it to something else.
An easy way to change the background
We will describe how to change the background in Paint using the greenscreening method (that is, the “green screen” method). Regardless of whether you need to remove the background of the image or replace it with a solid fill (pattern), you can do this using the above method. Please note that this describes changing the background not in standard Paint, but in Paint.NET, which does not come with standard applications and must be downloaded and installed separately.
Beginning of work
Before you change the transparent background in Paint Windows 7, you should open the image that you will be adjusting. This is done by right-clicking on the file and selecting the appropriate item in the drop-down menu (Open with - Paint). Please note that compatible formats include BMP, JPFG and GIF; others will not work.
If the image is larger, you need to go to the lower left corner and make an 800% increase by clicking on the magnifying glass located on the toolbar and selecting the number 8.
Selecting a color palette and drawing the outline of the image
On the color palette, you should make a choice of yellow-green (also called lime) color. This is usually chosen because a color contrasting with the rest of the picture is needed, and the selected tone is quite rare in images.
After this, using the Line tool, select the object that will be cut out. If the image is placed on a white background, you can use the “Pencil” to fill in the missing pixels. This will cause a wide green line to appear around the image.
Next, you need to right-click on the lime color and use the Select tool to outline the rectangular areas of the background color. This should be done carefully, trying not to enter the object. There is no need to worry too much about the extra triangles remaining around; they are removed later using the Eraser tool. After activating it, you need to select the smallest possible square in the menu that appears.
After all the manipulations, you get an object with a green screen around it. If you are interested in how to change the background in Paint, then you need to zoom out to 100 percent (1 in the zoom menu) and click on the paint bucket in the panel (Color Fill tool). Then select the desired color in the palette and click anywhere on the green background. After this, the background will become different.
Move an image to a new background
In order to move the image to another background, you need to select white in the palette and use the Fill tool to paint over the entire lime background. After this, press the key combination “Ctrl+A” - and the second (lower) button on the one that pops up is activated. After making sure that the new background has opened in another program window, you need to copy the image (key combination Ctrl+C) and paste it into this second window (key combination Ctrl+V). The work is ready! All that remains is to save it.
A few nuances
When editing detailed images, it will be much easier to work if you zoom in on the image. This can be done by selecting the “Scale” sub-item in the “View” menu or simply clicking the “Zoom in” button located on the ribbon.
Please note that larger image sizes will require more tracing time. To reduce the size of the picture, press “Ctrl+A” and drag the marker located at the bottom left up. It is important to maintain proportions so that the image does not turn out distorted.
During the work, errors will inevitably occur, and therefore you will have to edit the line. In order to be able to quickly undo previous actions, it is recommended to constantly keep your fingers on the “Ctrl+Z” key combination.
If the image has a curved border, it is advisable to use the Curve tool. To do this, click the corresponding button on the toolbar, draw a straight line from the beginning to the end of the border section, which then needs to be pulled to the left or right, describing a curve.
In order for the greenscreening method to work, in Paint Winwows 7 a transparent background must be set in the settings for inserts. If you do not set this setting, the background will be added from the original image. The Insertion Settings control panel will appear on the left side of the image you are editing, below the main panel, when one of the selection tools is used.
Removing the background
If there is a need to transfer an object to another background, then you inevitably have to face the question of how to remove the background in Paint. This is done quite simply:
- using the “Magic Wand” tool, the background is selected;
- the selected part is deleted using the Delete button or the “Clear Selection” command from the “Edit” menu, as a result of which a background in the form of a “chessboard” appears, conditionally showing transparency;
- The resulting image is saved (preferably in GIF), which can later be used at your discretion.
Step-by-step instructions in Paint: how to make a transparent background
Step one. In the “File” menu, select “Open” and click “Browse” to open the desired image.
Step two. Before you paint, you need to select the “Magic Wand” in the toolbar and set its sensitivity to 50 percent. For complex backgrounds, sensitivity should be set at 25-40 percent.
Step three. You need to click the “Magic Wand” on the white background, which then turns into pale blue.
Step four. It is necessary to delete the background selected in this way using the Delete key on the keyboard or through the “Edit” menu - the “Clear selection” item.
As a result, the background will become transparent, although in Paint it will have a checkerboard coloring. However, the work on how to make a transparent background in Paint does not end there.
Step six. The resulting image with a transparent background must be saved by selecting “Save” in the “File” menu and specifying the file name, and selecting the required format (PNG or GIF) in the drop-down list.
Conclusion
We looked at how to make a transparent background in Paint if you don't have Photoshop at hand. Despite the apparent complexity, even inexperienced users can cope with this. With due attention and accuracy, the result will be in no way inferior to work done in Photoshop.
Most often, a transparent background is required to overlay one part of the image on another or on the illustration itself. Colorless backgrounds are actively used when designing websites. Many photos in online stores also require a white color behind the main image, which can only be achieved using a transparent one, since the camera is not able to create a pure white background of RGB color 255,255,255.
Using a magic wand
The easiest way to make a transparent background in Photoshop CS6 and newer versions is to use the " Magic wand" or " magic wand" The following are step-by-step instructions:
Eraser
Tool " magic eraser» removes similar colors, moreover, it automatically converts the background layer to a normal one. Below are step-by-step instructions for creating a transparent background for a picture:
- Then you can use a regular eraser remove leftovers background and finish editing, allowing you to make a picture on a transparent background.
Replacing the background
This function allows you to replace the background or even make it transparent. Detailed instructions for its use:
How to save a picture without a background in Photoshop
It is not possible to save an image without a background in the usual JPEG format; after saving the illustration, the background will be created automatically. To save the desired illustration with a transparent background, you need to use formatPNG. To use it you need to follow the path: file — save as– when saving, specify PNG. 
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