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.png compatibility question (see-through backgrounds)


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Hello :-)


I've had paint.net for less than an hour and I wonder whether somebody might be able to give me a quick 'yes or no' to the following question please?
 

I've been using Photoshop 7 for years and have some .png graphic elements with clear backgrounds, which I use to make cover photos for a Facebook page. When I open these graphic files with paint.net I expect to see two layers - one for the clear background and one for the graphic itself, but instead I see just one layer. If I then open a photo and try to paste the graphic overlay on top of it the clear background doesn't work, the checkerboard pattern is displayed instead.
 

What I'd like to know is this - is there a simple way to make these files work as they used to in Photoshop, i.e without going to the trouble of masking things off and clearing backgrounds all over again? Can they be opened in paint.net with the see-through background fully functional from the off?


 

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The checkerboard pattern represents transparency, so your background is totally see-through already.

Rather than pasting the overlay directly on the image you're working with, add a new layer an paste it there. That way, the transparent parts of the overlay image don't replace the pixels on your image.

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No, Paint.NET is not spyware...but, installing it is an IQ test. ~BoltBait

Blend modes are like the filling in your sandwich. It's the filling that can change your experience of the sandwich. ~Ego Eram Reputo

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Ah I forgot to mention the hotkey!

If you press ctrl+shift+v instead of ctrl+v, it'll make the new layer for you before pasting.

No, Paint.NET is not spyware...but, installing it is an IQ test. ~BoltBait

Blend modes are like the filling in your sandwich. It's the filling that can change your experience of the sandwich. ~Ego Eram Reputo

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