How do I add a background to a transparent png in gimp?

3

1

I have a png file with a transparent background. I would like to add a non-transparent background from a jpg. I have tried:

  1. Open the transparent png file. I see the picture with the checkerboard background.
  2. Open As Layers the non-transparent jpg file. It covers the original picture.
  3. Choose Stack -> Reverse Layer order. What I see now looks like step 1.

I hoped that I would be able to see the non-transparent jpg picture through the png transparency, but I don't. What should I do? I am using Gimp 2.8.10 on OS X 10.8.5.

Ellen Spertus

Posted 2014-04-21T19:58:25.767

Reputation: 165

Add a new layer to the png, copy the non-transparent jpeg to the new layer in the png, lower the z-order of that layer (with the non-transparent jpeg). – Elliott Frisch – 2014-04-21T20:05:43.597

@ElliottFrisch, thanks, but I'm still seeing the same result, perhaps because I'm misunderstanding your instructions. When I try copying the non-transparent jpeg into the new layer, a third layer always gets created, whether I use copy or copy-into. – Ellen Spertus – 2014-04-21T20:10:57.413

That's fine. Just lower that layer in the layers tool. – Elliott Frisch – 2014-04-21T20:12:58.587

It's working now. I'm not sure what I was doing wrong before. Thanks for your help. – Ellen Spertus – 2014-04-21T20:22:47.660

Answers

3

Copy the new background layer image (click the select tool and CTRL-a CTRL-c) and then paste into a new layer in your target image (CTRL-v) which will create a new layer. Finally, lower that layer using the down-arrow in the "Layer" tool.

Elliott Frisch

Posted 2014-04-21T19:58:25.767

Reputation: 339

Asked: 2014-04-21T19:58:25.767

Viewed: 13 685 times

Active: 2014-04-21T22:57:04.993