How to set background transparency

[Nodwood]

Hello,

 

I'm coming off years of using an ancient version of Paintshop Pro, which I know inside out, but can't install on Windows 10, so I'm trying Paint.NET.

I have a bunch of transparent gifs to create/edit.

How do I make/keep the background transparent?

 

I've tried various searches in the forum, but can't find what I need.

 

Thanks.

[Pixey]

Welcome to the forum @Nodwood

 

You will need to download this Plugin into Paint.net.,  to get your gifs to open up into transparent backgrounds:

 

1.  Save your animated original gif by altering the name of it, to .agif at the end of it, and Chose All Files.

2.  Save it to a folder.

3. Open paint.net and navigate to the .agif you saved and it will open automatically into layers in paint.net.

 

 

For a simple video:

 

 

How to install Plugins for both the Classic (free) version of paint.net and the Store bought:

Install Plugins (getpaint.net)

[Djisves]

@Nodwood, if you work with existing gifs that already have a transparent background, you don't need to do anything. Edit as you like and then save as gif. The transparent background will be preserved.

 

When you create a new image from scratch, first delete the white background colour that comes with the background layer:

1. Select all (Ctrl+A)

2. Hit the "Delete" key on your keyboard

3. Work on the transparent background, create your image, Save As gif.

 

@Pixey, the undisputed animated gif queen of the PDN forums, understandably sometimes forgets that not all gifs need to be animated.

[Pixey]

28 minutes ago, Djisves said:

 

@Pixey, the undisputed animated gif queen of the PDN forums, understandably sometimes forgets that not all gifs need to be animated.

 

Excuse me!  The OP said:

 

10 hours ago, Nodwood said:

I have a bunch of transparent gifs to create/edit.

 

I merely showed @Nodwood how to import all the frames into paint.net in for him to edit.

[Nodwood]

Thanks for the replies.

 

I'm working with static gifs.

I see now that they open as transparent. The problem that I have now is that it's hard to see the foreground against the chequered background (about half of my gifs are simple line drawings).

In the old version of PSP that I was using, there was an option to make the current background (or foreground) colour transparent, so I could work on a white background and then set white to be displayed as transparent. Is there anything like that in Paint.NET?

 

Thanks again.

[ardneh]

You can make a New Layer, Paint Bucket fill it with white, move your image layer to the top.

 

Do your editing, delete the white layer and save.

==============================

I think that I misread what you were asking for.

 

Don't know of a way to choose a background color and have it display as white.

 

However, if it helps, you can Magic Wand the alpha, invert selection, and Paint Bucket fill the selection with the appropriate background color, then move your image layer to the top.

 

If you do any erasing only the background color will show thru, not the checkerboard.

 

Merge layers before saving.

================================

If the surrounding chequered background is still distracting while editing,

have a white bottom layer and delete it before merging layers and saving.

Edited January 15, 2021 by ardneh

[Nodwood]

Thanks for that.

The white background layer works for me.