NWE Help: Graphics: ImageMagick: Transparent Gifs

With ImageMagick, you can make gif images transparent. A transparent gif is an image (a gif file) that will blend in to any background color.

To make a transparent gif with ImageMagick, make a new file. Uncheck the "gradient" option. Choose the color you eventually plan to use as the background color for your web page. Write down the RGB code for the background color you select. It appears at the bottom of the color selection window. (Example: #FFFFFF)

Choose Image Edit > Annotate.

Select the Font Name, Font Color, Box Color, and Rotate options that you want to use.

Place your cursor on the spot in the image where you want your type to begin, then enter your type. Choose "Apply."

Save your image in GIF format in your web subdirectory.

Open an X-term shell.

At the prompt, type "cd web" to gain access to files in your web subdirectory.

At the next prompt, type "gifsicle -t RGBCOLOR FILENAME > NEWFILENAME" where RGBCOLOR is the RGB code of the background color you selected in ImageMagick, FILENAME is the name of the file you saved, and NEWFILENAME is a name you give to the new image that the program will create. Example: gifsicle -t #FFFFFF testtype.gif > testtype1.gif

Put your newly created image on a web page and check it out.