Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
the Video actions that I co-wrote with Daniel
Brown (a Photoshop expert). These can speed up
certain tasks for a video workflow. Two of these
actions can create an alpha channel for multi-
layered graphics with transparency.
1. Make sure the Logo layer is selected in the
Layers panel.
2. Call up the Actions panel and load the Video
Actions by clicking the submenu. Choose the
Video Actions set.
3. Choose the Create Alpha Channels from Vis-
ible Layers action. You must see Photoshop's
transparency grid for it to work.
4. Click the Play Selection button to run the
action. A dialog box appears with instruc-
tions. Read it and click Continue. A new
alpha channel is added to the document.
5. Choose File > Save As and save the file as
a PSD, TIFF, or Targa file, and then choose
to embed the transparency by including the
alpha channel.
There are many other issues related to creating graphics for use in
video. I invite you to check out my “other” Photoshop book, aptly
titled Photoshop for Video (Peachpit, 2010).
Include a Clipping Path
If you are preparing an image to import into a page layout pro-
gram (such as Adobe InDesign or QuarkXPress), you may want
to embed a clipping path. The clipping path embeds the transpar-
ency information into the file.
It's important to note that paths are vector based; therefore, they
have hard edges (and do not preserve softness or a feathered edge).
Features like a drop shadow cannot be preserved when creating a
clipping path (but can often be added in the page layout program).
An alternative to clipping paths is to use an alpha channel (which
can include a feathered edge).
 
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