Masked/Transparent .PNG as background/wallpaper...

ShawnWDP

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Masked/Transparent .PNG as background/wallpaper?

So, I swear this used to work. I have a company logo that is a transparent .PNG image. However, the frame of the image is filled with opaque black (or sometimes white) when I set it as my wallpaper.

I find this really strange, as the transparency shows up correctly in the .PNG file's Explorer Icon - even in the Personalize -> Desktop Background menu.

Image.jpg

Why does Windows show the icon with transparency but the image itself without it?

If I set the background to Center or Tile (where Windows doesn't have to resample it) then the raw RGB colors show up, including where they should be masked out by the .PNG's Alpha. If I set it to Fit or Fill (where Windows has to resample it) then the pixles which should be masked show up as solid black. It clearly is a transparent .PNG, and it is reading that transparency, it just isn't using it.

So,
1. Why does transparency work in the explorer Icons and Tiles, but not as a desktop background?
2. Is it possible to get Windows to read the image correctly everywhere, not just in some places?

The image doesn't fit the entire screen, so I'd just like the transparent parts to be transparent and show my desktop background color, in this case grey... like it shows up in the icon.

(Also yes, I'm just going to make a solid version with the right background color so it matches. This still bugs me though, and any help is appreciated :) )
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
I can't answer any of your questions but I did some testing and I only can confirm your findings; however, there is an easy fix for your situation and I think you already knew that anyway. However, during my own testing, I used this procedure to obtain the desired effect you are looking for:

Identified my screen resolution as 1366x768
Created an all white bmp file to that size
Cut and pasted a partially sized black image into the center of the above
Enable transparency inside the selected window/area (eg the white area)
Saved it a a gif file
Selected the above as my desktop background:

Screenshot (79).png

Yeah, I know, really ugly but the theme background colors show thru. FYI, I used Photofiltre Free to do the editing. Good luck.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel G2020
    Motherboard
    ASRock B75M-DGS R2.0
    Memory
    8GBs @ 1333 MHz
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 840 EVO
    PSU
    400w
    Internet Speed
    57/11
Interesting though! I tried to duplicate your results, but saving it as a .GIF didn't seem to work for me. I haven't perfectly set up the resolution like you have though, so I'm sure there is some factor like that I haven't done... Its interesting though... You definitely got some transparency going.

Not really surprising or as effective as what you found, but I realized Photo Viewer loads the transparency correctly too. I also realize its a 'program,' not Windows itself like the desktop, but it is a native program, and I just don't get why Microsoft didn't enable desktops to use transparency. The layer is clearly there, the solid color is behind whatever image you use.

Am I the only one who remembers this working on an older version of Windows? I still swear I used to use animated .GIFs and transparent .PNGs all the time when I was a kid.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
Thanks for you acknowledgement BTW. It is very much appreciated.

Interesting though! I tried to duplicate your results, but saving it as a .GIF didn't seem to work for me.
So, what didn't work? The transparency portion or the background image as a .gif?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel G2020
    Motherboard
    ASRock B75M-DGS R2.0
    Memory
    8GBs @ 1333 MHz
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 840 EVO
    PSU
    400w
    Internet Speed
    57/11
I tried to make a 1920x1080 and attach it but when I downloaded it back for a test I had lost the transparency. Don't know why? Maybe if I zipped it so let me know if you would like to try it.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel G2020
    Motherboard
    ASRock B75M-DGS R2.0
    Memory
    8GBs @ 1333 MHz
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 840 EVO
    PSU
    400w
    Internet Speed
    57/11
Thanks for you acknowledgement BTW. It is very much appreciated.

Interesting though! I tried to duplicate your results, but saving it as a .GIF didn't seem to work for me.
So, what didn't work? The transparency portion or the background image as a .gif?


The transparency, and you're more than welcome.

I still feel like there has to be a way to trick Windows into not compressing the file/erasing its alpha mask. The truth is I make a lot of designs, and a lot of them are masked .PNG files, and I'd like to have the slideshow desktop show them on my laptop so clients can see my previous work.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
Thanks for you acknowledgement BTW. It is very much appreciated.

Interesting though! I tried to duplicate your results, but saving it as a .GIF didn't seem to work for me.
So, what didn't work? The transparency portion or the background image as a .gif?


The transparency, and you're more than welcome.

I still feel like there has to be a way to trick Windows into not compressing the file/erasing its alpha mask. The truth is I make a lot of designs, and a lot of them are masked .PNG files, and I'd like to have the slideshow desktop show them on my laptop so clients can see my previous work.

I can't make a png work either but I can make a gif work. If interested, I can show you how:

Screenshot (116).png

BTW, I used Photofiltre portable. Its available here for free:

http://photofiltre.********/download_en.htm

What I did:

1. created a blank (white) 1366x768 bmp
2. opened a png image (logo) and copy/pasted it directly into the bmp
3. used the magic wand (right side menu) at 30% transparency (default) to enable transparency for selected (white) areas
4. saved finished product as a gif
5. opened themes and switched to the gif background image

Here is a screenshot of photofiltre with the tools and menus I used:

s1.jpg

s2.jpg

s3.jpg

s4.jpg

This should work for you demonstration intent (IMHO). Good luck.

Update: BTW, I did disable the Rainlendar calender to make it look more pleasing than my first attempt with the black box.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel G2020
    Motherboard
    ASRock B75M-DGS R2.0
    Memory
    8GBs @ 1333 MHz
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 840 EVO
    PSU
    400w
    Internet Speed
    57/11
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