Re: [Gimp-user] How to make transparency gradiate?

[Steve Kinney <admin pilobilus net>]

On 05/04/2013 09:54 AM, Richard Gitschlag wrote:

> You can also achieve the same result using paint tools.
>
> 1 - Eyedrop the background color.
> 2 - Switch to the Paintbrush and the "color erase" blending mode. 
> Color erase is also a color-to-alpha transition.
> 3 - Start painting the background.
>
> Note that with any color-to-alpha transition you may wind up with
> "residual" alpha values (very low transparency) in areas.  If you
> need to clean these up you can do so with the eraser tool or with a
> Levels/Curves adjustment (shadow end specifically) on the alpha channel.

Speaking of color-to-alpha, there's a one-step tool for that:
Colors > Color to Alpha

It even has its own eyedropper to pick the color you want made
transparent, if you click on the "from color" bar.

> From all the stuff presented here we see that 1) There is always
more than one way to do anything in the GIMP, and 2) Between all
these ways, just about every possible situation is covered.

Don't get me started on "Select your foreground image with the Lasso
tool, refine your selection with the Quick Mask, invert the
selection, delete, and make a new drop shadow" procedure.  Too much
typing.

:o)

Steve