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9.6 Semi-Transparency and Indexed Images

Semi-transparency presents a particularly knotty problem when converting an image to Indexed format. This is a problem for indexed images because they only support alpha values of 0 (fully transparent) and 255 (fully opaque). When converting to Indexed format, partially transparent pixels (that is, with alpha values in the range 1 to 254) have their alpha values forced to 0 or 255. This is a problem for antialiasing (see Section 3.1.2) and for the general use of transparency in indexed images.

Fortunately, there is a solution. The `Semi-Flatten` plug-in is a work-around for the problem of semi-transparency in indexed images. This filter, found in the `Image:Filters/Colors` menu, requires knowing the background color that will be used beneath the semi-transparent image. If you can't determine the background color in advance, the `Semi-Flatten` filter cannot help you.

To use the `Semi-Flatten` filter, you must determine the color that will be behind the semi-transparent image and you must specify it in the `Active Background Color` patch in the Toolbox window. The `Color Picker` tool can be useful for determining colors, and although the `Color Picker` automatically sets the `Active Foreground Color` you can easily toggle this color to the background by clicking on the `Switch Colors` icon (the two-headed arrow above the foreground/background color patches in the Toolbox). The semi-flattening process combines the `Active Background Color` with the layer colors in proportion to the layer's alpha values.

As an example, Figure 9.30

Figure 9.30: Antialiased Text After Conversion to Indexed...Yeeeks!

illustrates how a conversion to Indexed format ruins the antialiasing of some text. Figure 9.30(a) shows a transparent layer containing the letter K from the Comicscartoon font at a size of 275 pixels. Antialiasing was turned on when the text was created; however, when this image is converted to indexed format the antialiasing is lost, as can be more plainly seen when the letter is placed over a yellow background. This is shown in Figure 9.30(b). The jagged staircase effect is clearly visible at the edges of the letter. Figure 9.30(c) shows the disposition of the two layers in the Layers dialog. Figure 9.31

Figure 9.31: Using `Semi-Flatten` to Preserve the Effect of Semi-Transparency

shows how using `Semi-Flatten` resolves the antialiasing problem. Figure 9.31(a) displays the Toolbox window, which shows that the `Active Background Color` patch has been set to the yellow color seen in Figure 9.30(b). Figure 9.31(b) shows a zoomed version of the result after applying `Semi-Flatten` to Figure 9.30(a). The edges of the letter K now show that the semi-transparent pixels that were used for antialiasing have taken on color values between the black of the letter and the yellow of the `Active Background Color`. Pixels that were fully transparent have remained so. The result of placing this layer over a yellow background layer is shown in Figure 9.31(c). You can see that the antialiasing effect has been conserved.

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