: How to convert solid color to transparency? I have a simple black and white image. I want to remove the white background and make it transparent. There are some intricate parts so the magic

@Candy945

Pixelmator

If you would like to make a white background transparent, you can use the "Mask to Alpha" tool. However, this tool assumes that the dark part of the image is what you want to make transparent. You will first need to invert the color so that the white is turned black:

Menu > Image > Invert Color


Then you can convert the black to transparent:

Menu > Filter > Color > Mask to Alpha

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@Shelley591

Using raster software (Photoshop, Pixelmator, The GIMP):

The image you are showing appears to be aliased, meaning that the pixels are either black or white and few (if any) gray pixels near the edges. If that's the case, the magic wand tool set to a very low threshold should be the easiest way to go about it.

Alternatively, Takkat's suggestion of using alpha channels is good (though it's a bit confusing in Pixelmator, I have to google it every single time I want to use alpha channels in Pixelmator).

Using vector software such as Illustrator or Inkscape

If your image is of a decent resolution, an alternative is to import it into a vector application and then use the auto-trace tool to convert it into a vector image--at which point the white would be non-existant.

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@BetL875

Gimp

We can easily convert any colour to alpha with Gimp.

Choose "Layer - Transparency - Color to Alpha..." to select any colour (defaults to white) you wish to make transparent. Depending on your original file format you may have to add an alpha channel first (Layer - Transparency - Add Alpha Channel):

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