Saving to Alpha Channels

I have had several people ask me about saving to Alpha Channels.  This is how I do it!

I prefer saving to Alpha Channels in a tutorial whenever possible.  This technique makes it possible for the person doing the tutorial to go through fewer steps.  You already have the layers labeled for them on the Layer Palette.  This eliminates the step on adding a New Layer and naming it if necessary.

The Alpha Channel does not save passed 24 channels (PSP7). PSP8 has changed this. I do not remember if I saw a limit on Alpha Channels for PSP8, but I know it can go quite high, may be unlimited. I modify my tutorials to keep 24 or less so they can be used by people still using older versions of PSP. Some times this is not possible due to the complexity of the tutorial so I have to use selections.

The process is much the same as saving to selections.
I usually start at the bottom layer and work up.
• You already have each image on a layer (Just name the layer on the Layer Palette).
• Selections

1. Select All and Float (Ctrl A & F)
2. Load to Alpha Channel rather than Selections (Alt S & V in PSP7, but PSP 8 threw in an extra step Alt S , L,  then C.  Of course you could customize and add the icons to a Toolbar or Palette.  Mine are on my customized Toolbar.)

3. Name as you would selections
4. Select None (Ctrl D)  A must in PSP8.  In PSP7, I always used the shortcut keys and this step is not necessary – See steps below.
5. Move to the next layer and repeat until you have save all the layers that need to be worked on to the Alpha Channel.

• Make layers you want to supply an image on invisible (Click glasses PSP7 or eye PSP8).  I often supply the face, so it is left on the layer and made invisible until called for in the tutorial.
• SAVE YOUR ORIGINAL!!!
• Duplicate
• Hit the Delete key on all the layers you have not provided the image on (Invisible)

SHORT CUT KEYS FOR PSP7
I got to where I could zip through saving to Alpha Channels pretty quickly using this method.
Name all you Layers first

1. Double click on the layer your saving to the Alpha Channel
2. Ctrl C (Copy – copies name layer)
3. Ctrl A & F (Select and Float)
4. Alt S & V (Selections & Save to Alpha Channel)
5. Enter
6. Ctrl P (Paste – paste name of layer)
7. Enter
8. Ctrl Z (Undo – This takes it back to Select All.  Now when you get to step 3 all you do is Float)
9. Move up to the next layer and repeat – Remember Step 3, just Float (Ctrl F)

*This doesn’t work for PSP8 because on step 8 if you hit Ctrl Z it undoes loading to the Alpha Channel.
However, if you plan on using this technique a lot, you may want to add the icons to one of your Tool bars or Palette bars.

Hope you have found this tutorial useful!

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