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Need image transparency in Structure theme header

  1. ieba
    Member

    I have images with transparency in my posts. GIFs work fine. I tried to import a logo with the same effect into the header and every time I get a black background. I changed the image to PNG24, clicked transparency on, and it still doesn't work. I need this to work so that I can integrate a more interesting looking, mottled background than the flat color that is there now.

    I have took a screen grab showing the problem and made a post here:

    http://waotbp.wordpress.com/2010/06/12/transparency

    The blog I need help with is waotbp.wordpress.com.

  2. panaghiotisadam
    Member

    ??? The header image on the blog you link to is transparent.

    A transparent png won't work if it isn't in the exact dimensions specified by the theme, because the cropped version produced by WP is always a jpg.

  3. ieba
    Member

    Thanks for that!
    I haven't tried a pixel for pixel version yet, always crop, and didn't know WP does an internal conversion.

    The header image on the blog now is a big box all the way across with the same color as the background. But I want to _change_ the background and that makes the box very obvious..

  4. thesacredpath
    Member

    The exact header size for structure is 960 × 120 pixels. It is listed right on the appearance > header page.

  5. ieba
    Member

    Yes, I know that, but it also crops. Cropping was simpler, and good enough till I wanted to make the background more interesting.

    Following panaghiotisadam's advice, an exactly sized PNG did work beautifully.

  6. thesacredpath
    Member

    The image crop feature at wordpress does not do a very good job when it comes to image quality, and it will always save as a jpg. Your header image/logo would be much better and sharper saved as a png. jpg compression is best for photographic images, not for graphic type images and text in jpg's will always be fuzzy.

  7. thesacredpath
    Member

    For that matter, any line between two different colors will become fuzzy in a jpg. That is why, unless it is a photographic image, you are better with gif or png.

  8. littlesophia
    Member

    Once you get to "maximum" quality setting sin JPEG, I think it's almost indistinguishable from the original. But I agree, pixel for pixel accuracy is not guaranteed with JPEG. The transparent PNG worked for me.

    A separate line or two about transparency on the Header Image page would have been clearer: "If you need transparency, use GIF or PNG and make sure the size is exact because cropping in WordPress eliminates transparency."

  9. timethief
    Member

    @littlesophia
    I agree with you. Would you please contact Staff and make that suggestion so the additional clarifying sentence can be added to support documentation?
    http://en.support.wordpress.com/contact/

  10. ieba
    Member

    Done.

  11. timethief
    Member

    Good. :)

  12. andrewspittle
    Happiness Engineer

    I just updated the support page to make note of this. Thanks for the feedback all!

  13. ieba
    Member

    I will certainly count this as happiness achieved.

  14. timethief
    Member

    @Andrew
    Thank you. :)

    @ieba
    Me too. :)

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