# How to save an image with a transparent background for watermark
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-save-an-image-with-a-transparent-background-for-watermark/514205
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [October 18, 2009, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-save-an-image-with-a-transparent-background-for-watermark/514205 "2009-10-18T06:13:26Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2009, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-save-an-image-with-a-transparent-background-for-watermark/514205/1 "2009-10-18T06:13:26Z")
Hi…I’ve been going crazy trying to figure this out, because it CAN be done, I just saw a .png image and a .gif that had transparent backgrounds.
But everytime I try to do it in Photoshop…white.
White white white.
Grr.
I’m sure it’s simple, right?
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### Author:  [@Casserole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casserole)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2009, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-save-an-image-with-a-transparent-background-for-watermark/514205/2 "2009-10-18T06:35:45Z")
Do you want only part of the image transparent?
What you may want to look for is the opacity setting on the particular layer you are working on. It’s a tiny tiny dial on the “Layers” window, that you can drag back and forth to make the image more or less opaque.
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### Author:  [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2009, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-save-an-image-with-a-transparent-background-for-watermark/514205/3 "2009-10-18T06:53:20Z")
Casserole is correct. One layer, with 30% or so opacity, saved as a png, will get you what you want.
Make sure you have the settings on your “new image” as a transparent background, rather than the default white.
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### Author:  [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2009, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-save-an-image-with-a-transparent-background-for-watermark/514205/4 "2009-10-18T08:00:04Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#):
>
> Casserole is correct. One layer, with 30% or so opacity, saved as a png, will get you what you want.
>
> Make sure you have the settings on your “new image” as a transparent background, rather than the default white.
I am very familiar with changing the layer opacity. The issue arises when saving the image - how do I save it as a png? Any other type of saving will insert the white (except psd, of course. But jpeg, gif… I need to be able to use it in other programs, not just photoshop, so it has to be usable and readable by other programs.)
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### Author:  [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2009, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-save-an-image-with-a-transparent-background-for-watermark/514205/5 "2009-10-18T09:10:16Z")
It should be in the “file/save as” [dialogue](http://www.guanolad.com/stuff/save_png.jpg).