White shadows when exporting as PNG

I'm very late to the game here but I created an action script that retains the original shadow as shot on white along with the subject and ends with a single layer that can be saved as a PNG. There is no milky white halo around the shadow antialiased area either. It behaves as if it is multiplied when placing a color beneath the subject/shadow layer. There's a whole thread about this that I created several years ago that I'm trying to locate, and that's why I stumbled into this thread.

Depending on the situation you got going on with the shadow layer, it might work to change them blending mode of the shadow layer from multiply to normal. or vice versa!

Hello, @EthanSuero ! Not sure if you still need advice on this one but, here it goes:

If you created the shadow by using a lighter/brighter color than the background you are applying it to, then the png export will manifest just like in your given example.

Ok, ok, hold your horses, you might say. How can you create shadows from lighter shades than the bg itself? That doesn't even make sense. Partially true.

You can generate darker shades of color from lighter ones if you have the multiply blend mode selected on the layer you are currently working on. That tricks you into believing you are drawing shadows with shades dark enough, when in fact, you have multiply activated. Multiply darkens by default, check your layers to make sure that you are using darker colors than the bg itself, and apply blending modes afterward.

Of course, for best results, I find that shadows work well for png files if you create them from full black (or a very dark color swatch) and use multiply with transparency anywhere from 40 to 90% depending on your designated graphic asset.

I hope my answer helps with your issue, considering you are still looking for a solution.

Cheers!

You can also cut out the object and shadow separately (so that they are on two different layers) and then change the blending mode on just the shadow to Multiply.

You need to have a layer for your cut-out object (your image) on a transparent background, another layer for your shadow (which you create) and another layer for the background solid colour (your choice of colour) – three layers in all

Cut out the image in Photoshop, so it's on a transparent background, then add a shadow, then add in the solid colour on a new layer and move it below the cut-out layer, finally export as a PNG.

Even transparent PNGs have a solid backdrop color stored against which semi-transparent regions are blended. Simply use a color that matches the shadow color or the alternate background you plan on using it on, i.e. tint your "Background" layer black or pink...

Mylenium