Creating Transparent and/or Interlaced GIFs

Photoshop

When you save an indexed color image as a GIF file using the GIF89a plug-in, you can designate certain colors as transparent. (GIF files created by selecting the CompuServe GIF file format in the Save As dialog box are opaque.) Photoshop 3.0.5 includes the GIF89a plug-in.

1. If the GIF89a Export plug-in is not already installed, you'll need to download and install it. Install the GIF89a Export plug-in into Photoshop's Plug-ins folder (Windows) or the Acquire/Export folder in Photoshop's Plug-ins folder (Macintosh). After installation, restart Photoshop.
2. Open your file
3. Convert it to Indexed Color mode by choosing Mode > Indexed Color. You must convert to Indexed Color mode to access transparency options in the GIF89a Export dialog box.
4. Isolate the background. It is very important that the color you choose for the background or whatever effect you are creating is not used elsewhere in the image, because that color is going to be defined as transparent. Also, a solid color is preferred if you want total transparency.
5. Choose File > Export > GIF89a Export.
6. In the GIF89a Export dialog box, select the color you want to designate as transparent, then click OK. Caution: Photoshop will let you designate multiple colors as transparent, but most web browsers only support one transparent color. For best results on the web, choose only one color to be transparent.
7. Name the GIF file, then click Save.

1. If the GIF89a Export plug-in is not already installed, you'll need to download and install it. Install the GIF89a Export plug-in into Photoshop's Plug-ins folder (Windows) or the Acquire/Export folder in Photoshop's Plug-ins folder (Macintosh). After installation, restart Photoshop.
2. Choose File > Export > GIF89a Export.
3. In the GIF89a Export dialog box, check the Interlaced box.
4. Name the GIF file, then click Save.

Paint Shop Pro 3.11

1. Open a GIF image.
2. Isolate the background. It is very important that the color you choose for the background or whatever effect you are creating is not used elsewhere in the image, because that color is going to be defined as transparent. Also, a solid color is preferred if you want total transparency.
3. In the Select Tool box, choose the eyedropper.
4. With the eyedropper, choose a background color by right-clicking on the area of the image that you want to be transparent.
5. Select FILE > SAVE AS.
6. Choose GIF as the file type, and "GIF89a interlaced" or "GIF89a non-interlaced" as the file sub-type.
7. Under OPTION, choose "make background color transparent".
8. Name the GIF file, then click Save.

1. Open a GIF image.
2. Select FILE, and SAVE AS.
3. Choose GIF as the file type, and "GIF89a interlaced" as the file sub-type.
4. Name the GIF file, then click Save.

LView Pro

1. Open the image.
2. If the image is not already in GIF file format, convert it to a GIF file format.
3. Isolate the background. It is very important that the color you choose for the background or whatever effect you are creating is not used elsewhere in the image, because that color is going to be defined as transparent. Also, a solid color is preferred if you want total transparency.
4. Click on Options/Background color... .You will get a Select Color Palette Entry window displaying a number of square colored palettes. Black is a good color to mask in, so make sure there is an X in the Mask Selection Using Box and that your Black button is on.
5. Now pick the colored box in the Select Color Palette Entry area that matches the color you want to make transparent.
6. You should now see your image as two colors. The color that will become transparent and the black (masked) area which will not be transparent. Then select OK.
7. Another method is to simply click on the Dropper button. You will notice that your mouse pointer has become a dropper. Now click once on the color that you want to make transparent.
8. Choose File > Save as...
9. Choose GIF89a format