Nitrome Wiki:How to make Transparent Images/Gimp2: Method 2

This tutorial shows another method on how to make an image transparent using Gimp2.

Requirements

• GIMP
• Screen-capturing program, such as Snipping Tool or the Print Screen [Prt Scr] button will work as well.

Notes

• Never save images as JPEGs (.jpg) if you are using Snipping Tool. This distorts the image and makes it blurry. Instead, try .png or another type of image format.
• There are images that go along with the text description of how to complete a step. To see them, simply click on the link next to or under the word "Image(s)".

Steps

Step 1

Location of the Print Screen button

Instructions: The first step is to capture the image you want to make transparent. If you are using Snipping Tool, then click "New" and select the area of your screen you want to capture. Then click "Save" and save the capture as a .png image. Make sure to save the capture to a folder you will remember easily. If using Print Screen, then simply click the "Prt Sc" button on your keyboard.

Step 2

Opening the image

An image opened from Print Screen

The Print Screen image being cropped

Instructions: Now open up the Gimp2 program. If you used Snipping tool, then go to "File", then "Open" (or just press "Ctrl + O") and select the capture that you saved. Then click "Open". If you used Print Screen, then go to "File", then "Create". Select the option "From Clipboard". (Or you could just skip all that and press Shift + Ctrl + V.) You will probably need to crop the screen capture to only the image you want. To do that, press Ctrl + A, then press "R". A rectangle should pop up when you click and drag, indicating the area you are to select. Then go to "Image", then "Crop to Selection". Now you have cropped to the image size you want!

Step 3

Instructions: The image should now be ready to be made transparent. First, go to to "Layer", then "Transparent", then click "Add Alpha Channel". This makes the layer behind the image transparent.

Step 4

Images:

Using By Color Select

Using Fuzzy Select

Using Eraser

Instructions: You now have two options on how to select the area to remove from the image. The first is "Fuzzy Select", and the other is "By Color Select". Both can be found when clicking "Tools", the "Selection Tools", or by pressing their respective shortcuts, "U" for "Fuzzy Select", and "Shift + O" for "By Color Select", respectively. Either one works the same way. You must first click on the area that you want to delete with the tool activated. Then press "Delete". It's that simple! Just keep on selecting and deleting until only the image is left. It is now transparent!

Note: When using "By Color Select", be careful, because it selects all of the portions of the capture that have the same color as the portion you selected. This can include some portions of the image you want to make transparent, such as the eyes or mouth of an enemy you are making transparent. Be careful to not delete portions of the image you are making transparent. Instead, use "Fuzzy Select" for those portions.

Note: You can also use the "Eraser" tool (Shift + E) to erase the edges of the selection. Just be careful not to erase the image you want to make transparent!

The final image, after completing all of the steps

Hope you will be successful in creating your own transparent image!

Complaints/ Suggestions/ Comments/ Questions/ Concerns

Below, you can ask questions and make suggestions about my tutorial. All comments are accepted! (Just make sure to have a professionally appropriate message!)