Hi there,

I am trying to make a background transparent on an existing image - a drawing. I have followed the advice on the CafePress help pages for Photoshop, and I have read somewhere in the forums (I can't find the thread now) that I should not 'flatten' the image before I save it, as that wipes out the transparency. So here's what I do:

Open existing already flattened png image.
Make the background transparent, following the CafePress instructions.
Save the file again. (It was already png.)

Is that all I need to do?

I have also read in the forums that I should 'merge' layers instead of flatten. Do I still need to do this if the image was already prepared and flattened before I opened it, and I was just making the background transparent to finish it off? The CafePress instructions do not mention merging layers you see. I have read in the forums that I can 'save for web' with Photoshop Elements. Again, do I need to do this if I am working with an already flattened image that I am just adding transparency to? And if so, do I save as png.8 or png.24?

All advice gratefully received!

Thanks,

PNG does not support multiple layers. If you have only one layer then you have what PNG needs. If you have more than one layer then the program will alert you that you need to either merge or flatten to save to PNG.

Hi there, and thank you for your reply.

I am a little confused. I am not receiving a prompt to flatten or merge. This is what I am doing:

- Open existing file (previously created with or without text), that has been flattened and saved as png.
- create transparent background using magic wand as per CafePress instructions.
- choose 'save' in the toolbar, as file is already png.
- pop-up asks if I want to interlace or not - I choose not (as per CafePress instructions).

I have checked the file afterwards and it still has the option to 'flatten layers' in the toolbar. Also, there is only 'Layer 0' in the layers palette, created whilst making background transparent.

Adobe help pages for Photoshop Elements 2 suggests that to preserve transparency, you choose 'save for web', but it has a option of png 8 (sections are either fully transparent or fully opaque) or png 24 (supports partial transparency). I am assuming I need to choose png 8?

I take it that's all I have to do?

All advice gratefully received.

If you have only Layer 0 then you don't have any layers to merge - you have only one layer.

Do not choose PNG 8. PNG 24 is correct.