transparent background? - DPChallenge Forums

12/21/2004 08:08:25 PM · #1

Hey all, I'm working on a digital signature (see below) and I am wondering if it's possible to have a transparent background on a JPEG?

I tried a Compuserve GIF but when I embed into the threads or my profile bio it has a broken link thing. Any suggestions?

12/21/2004 08:10:51 PM · #2

JPEG does not have the capability for an "alpha channel" (transparency). GIF and PNG are the choices there. For some reason I thought a GIF could be used, but I may be wrong...

deapee

Kodak V803

12/21/2004 08:11:23 PM · #3

I'm almost 99% sure you can't do that with a JPG but I think you can with a GIF...I think when linking though, capitalization matters...like if you save it Image.gif and link to image.gif, it won't work or .GIF and .gif for example.

12/21/2004 08:18:02 PM · #4

the following image is a GIF file; hit quote to see the code.

12/21/2004 08:22:08 PM · #5

Originally posted by kirbic:

the following image is a GIF file; hit quote to see the code.

now it works but seems really pixelated

12/21/2004 08:23:47 PM · #6

Yup, you probably will have to mess with feathering the fade to transparency to give it a softer-edged look. When you do your selection, feather it by 1 pixel, that should do the trick.

12/21/2004 08:40:07 PM · #7

Originally posted by kirbic:

Yup, you probably will have to mess with feathering the fade to transparency to give it a softer-edged look. When you do your selection, feather it by 1 pixel, that should do the trick.

I think it's looking pretty great now, thanks for the help.

What do you think?

12/21/2004 09:14:22 PM · #8

testing

Message edited by author 2004-12-21 21:25:50.

12/21/2004 09:21:37 PM · #9

Hey, looks great now! :)

12/21/2004 09:56:12 PM · #10

Originally posted by kirbic:

Hey, looks great now! :)

Thanks for your help

MrYu

Sigma 100-300mm f/4.0 EX IF HSM for Nikon

12/21/2004 09:59:45 PM · #11

Originally posted by magicshutter:

Originally posted by kirbic:
Hey, looks great now! :)

Thanks for your help

If it's in your signature in the message above, it may have a side effect of showing up even when people have signatures in forums turned off. You may purposefully or otherwise annoy a few people... Just FYI.

cbeller

Nikon D300

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 16-85 f/3.5-5.6G ED VR

12/21/2004 10:05:54 PM · #12

Originally posted by magicshutter:

Originally posted by kirbic:
Hey, looks great now! :)

Thanks for your help

I would highly suggest putting it in your signature if you must have it, so people can turn signatures off in forums. It gets a little annoying seeing the big signature as I scroll through threads. No offense meant, btw. I get tired of people including all there favorite photos in their signature as well. If I want to look through someone's portfolio, I'll visit their profile page.

Sorry for getting off on a tangent.

Edit: You did do a good job on the sig though. :-)

Message edited by author 2004-12-21 22:06:21.

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 16-85 f/3.5-5.6G ED VR

12/21/2004 10:08:04 PM · #13

I certainly hope a graphic of my signature would not offend or annoy anyone. It's not intended to create a riot of opinions concerning the appropriate nature of such a thing

Edit: I didn't realize a harmless graphic could get on people nerves. Some people take the fun out of everything.

Message edited by author 2004-12-21 22:09:53.

hardwaybets

Apple iPhone 11 Pro

12/21/2004 10:17:01 PM · #14

hahaahahahahahahahhaaa! For the love of all that is good...he just wanted opinions on how to do a transparent background...lighten up folks...It's the holidays!

cbeller

Nikon D300

12/21/2004 10:36:59 PM · #15

My apologies Joe! It wasn't my intent to bitch or lecture or anything, just got off on a tangent. :-)

I am curious to know how you did the signature, as I was going to do something similar to use on a cleint's senior pictures.

@hardawaybets - Don't you think I know it's the holidays? Why do you think I'm in such a pissy mood!?! ;-)

hardwaybets

Apple iPhone 11 Pro

12/21/2004 10:40:07 PM · #16

Too funny Chris...

BTW, I was wonderin' how you did that Joe?

Feel like writing? ;)

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

12/21/2004 11:27:14 PM · #17

I signed my name with a sharpie on a plain piece of white printer paper.
Then I scanned it into the PC at 1200 dpi for detail and clarity.
I opened the scan in photoshop and used the magic selection tool to highlight the signature. I darkened the signature using the brush tool because the sharpie didn't have a solid tone. I cleaned all the noise, fuzz and all other unwanted data from around the signature and cropped as close as I could. I selected 'define brush' and had the brush.

To make the graphic I opened a new sheet in photoshop at 1"x1" @300 dpi.
I selected my signature brush and resized it to fit the image. After I had the signature on the new page I used the background eraser with a tolerance of 1 to erase the background. I then highlighted everything around the signature with the magic selection tool and deleted it again to clear up any left over fuzz. I resized the image down to 75x75 pixels and saved it as a compuserve GIF. To keep it transparent make sure you don't flatten the image.

Once I had the saved file I uploaded it to DPC and linked it to my forum signature or thread posts by doing this:
I opened the properties of the photo in my profile and copied the url
I opened my preferences and linked it accordingly.

For the sake of finishing this thread..
embed it to your signature, or profile by typing [img]url you copied from the photos properties[/img]

Hope that helps.

Oh BTW I learned a new one screwing around with all that.

Basically make your brush color black and use your signature brush on a blank sheet. Then use Red (what I used) and slightly overlay it on the black signature creating sort of a block signature sort of thing. Then Define Brush... when you use this new brush the main signature will be half transparent and the 'shadow' text will be solid. This looks awesome on photos because you see a solid 'shadow' and the actual signature is half transparent allowing you to see through it slightly.

Does that last part make sense???

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

12/21/2004 11:34:22 PM · #18

Originally posted by magicshutter:

Only if you inserted it at the end of every single post you make here, and if you got into a back-and-forth discussion. Then it does take up extra screen space and bandwidth for people who want to read the content of the forums in a hurry, and seems unnecessary for an image to be posted repeatedly if that image is not the subject of the discussion.

You did a great job with it -- I first saw it in the other thread and thought it looked great over there. Thanks for posting the instructions!

cbeller

Nikon D300

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 16-85 f/3.5-5.6G ED VR

12/21/2004 11:46:00 PM · #19

Thanks for posting Joe. The Sharpie on white paper was the technique I was going to try. Seeing what you did, it appears it will work quite well.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

12/21/2004 11:51:24 PM · #20

Originally posted by magicshutter:

Basically make your brush color black and use your signature brush on a blank sheet. Then use Red (what I used) and slightly overlay it on the black signature creating sort of a block signature sort of thing. Then Define Brush... when you use this new brush the main signature will be half transparent and the 'shadow' text will be solid. This looks awesome on photos because you see a solid 'shadow' and the actual signature is half transparent allowing you to see through it slightly.

Does that last part make sense???

A semitransparent signature with a solid drop-shadow is how I read it -- sounds awesome. Why don't you post a hi-res corner of a photo showing that!