Transparent border

[newtopaint487]

Newbie - just started with paint.net, and I have been going through tutorials...

I have an picture taken at night (so very dark background) with a flash - so subject is well lit.

I want to crop out a 10cm section at the center of the image and then have approx 2cm border, transparent - going from the black background to white so there is a blend to the white background.

I can crop out the image, create the new layer containing the image etc, but no matter what I try I cannot figure out how to make the transparent border. From the various tutorials I came across, it seems I need to use additional layers, and probably use a gradient fill, but I just cannot figure out the steps. I am sure there are tutorials somewhere, but I could not find them. Would anybody have any suggestions re the steps I need to take, or links to a tutorial?

Many thanks

[Myrddin]

Expand your canvas (Image menu > Canvas Size) an additional 4cm for both width and height (under the Print size subheading) - remembering to have the anchor in the middle - therefore expanding the canvas outwards 2cm in each of the four directions.

To make life easier, before executing the resize, have your secondary colour fully transparent: the additional canvas from a resize is filled with your secondary colour by default.

[newtopaint487]

Wow - that was quick - thank you. Please bear with me - still getting used to the concepts...

I followed the instructions as best I could, but did not seem to achieve what I was looking for. Here is what I did:

1. Created a new image by pasting one from memory into a new layer.

2. Followed your instructions, but all it did was seem to give me a slightly smaller image...

Should I be using a second layer for the image with the border?

I may not have been clear in my original post - what I want to try and achieve is a gradient/blend on the border - so I have a 2cm border around the image, but that it fades from the black of the image to white. So, my question now is how do I get the 2cm border to 'fade' from the black to the white?

Again, very grateful for the quick response, and without wish to seem ungrateful, woul dit be possible to give the individual steps necessary to achieve this?

Thanks again...

[Myrddin]

2. Followed your instructions, but all it did was seem to give me a slightly smaller image...

That's the zoom level that is accommodating the full image to fit the screen. Go ahead and select 100% zoom level.

As for the gradient border:

- create a new layer below your object and fill that with black.

- With the Gradient tool ( ) and on Transparency mode (click :AllColorChannels: for :AlphaChannel: ), start a gradient from the edge of the picture drawing it straight outwards to the edge of the canvas - your gradient should be at a right-angle to the edge. Hit the Enter key on your keyboard after drawing the gradient otherwise the next one you draw will override your current one.

- Do this for each of the four sides.

- Create another layer, moving it bellow all others, filling this with white.

- Merge the white layer and black layer if needed.

[newtopaint487]

I see where you are going with this, but I just cannot get it to work.

Should I be able to get the 4 individual gradients onto the one layer, or should I have to add a sep. layer for each of the gradients? Event though I hit RETURN after each gradient, when I go to add a new one it to removes the previous one.

Even when I do get a gradient to 'stick' - if I then flatten the image and try to view it, there is no border and no gradient visible.. Sorry to sound stupid on this one...

Thanks

[Myrddin]

Yes, you can get each gradient on the one layer. But they must be done individually on the black layer below your image.

Below, I've attached a ZIP file that contains an example of my method, with labelled layers. As you will see, I've worked each gradient from the edge of the picture (blue square as the case may be) to the edge of the canvas for each side.

Have a look and see if it answers anything.

Transparent border.zip

You can see a flaw with my method in the corners, but they can be ironed out after we've created this border for you. Also, someone on the Forum might turn up with a better idea than this, if you aren't comfortable with this there's a chance it isn't the only way.

[newtopaint487]

Thank you very much for posting the example - I am studying the example - very much appreciate the time you took to prepare it.

[newtopaint487]

OK - making good progress, but have a problem with getting gradients to 'stick'. I do as suggested, and drag in a straight line to the end of the image, and I get a nice gradient. I het the 'enter' key and it seems to stick. But as soon as I click elsewhere on the layer to add the gradient for the other side of the image, the first one disappears. SO, my question is - how do I make a gradient stick - do I need to create a separate layer for each gradient?

Thanks

[Myrddin]

Tricky to see what you're doing without looking over your shoulder; and that's a tad difficult to accomplish.

I've posted an image below (keeping with the blue square) with only two sides completed and accompanying arrows to show direction of each, individual gradient. It doesn't mean I'm doubting your ability nor becoming impatient, I just want to establish that we're on the same track before we tackle this from a new angle - we know it does work from my posted example above.

The gradients are still being draw on the one black layer.