My EPS vector file does not export transparency to PNG file

[Manjinder70]

Hi,

I am a programmer and not a graphic artist. I am writing a game and need transparent PNG sprites. My plan is to get most of my graphics from Shutterstock.

I downloaded an image of alphabet characters on a transparent background. It is an EPS file.

I had the trial version of Illustrator CC and I opened up the EPS file which loaded successfully (apart from a message about a plug-in called Phantasm.aip is needed).

The image kind of has a black chequered background. My assumption was that the background is transparent.

All I did next was used the export to PNG option. I set the option for transparency and output as 600 DPI.

I got a excellent quality PNG image with an alpha-channel, but all the alpha pixels are 255 completely opaque!

Anyone know what's going on?

Thanks,

M.

[Ton Frederiks]

Try to get rid of the black checkered background.

See if it is on a layer i Illustrator.

Checkered backgrounds in Photoshop indicate transparency.

If you create a new Illustrator file and choose View > Show Transparency Grid you will see that checkered grid.

Your EPS probably fakes that grid.

[Manjinder70]

Thanks, I'm convinced the EPS has a rasterized image. It only says Layer 1 on the Layers tab. I would expect a transparent background to be a layer of it's own which you can remove.

[Doug A Roberts]

can you show a screenshot of the object selected and the layers panel? expand the layer to show its contents.

[Manjinder70]

Yes, there are multiple sub-layers I discovered. One of them is a chequered background.

I have tried turning off all main background layers but still the export to PNG is all opaque.

[Monika Gause]

Can we finally see something?

[Ton Frederiks]

As Doug suggested show the layers panel with the layers (and sublayers) expanded.

If it is an image it will show there.

[Manjinder70]

Is it enough just to click the eye-icon to turn off the layer? That is what I am doing but the resulting PNG is opaque. All alpha-bytes are 255.

[Manjinder70]

Thanks to Doug, Ton and Monika for replying.

I managed to hide the backgrounds. They were sub-layers. I turned on Show Transparency Grid to help me (as Ton mentioned) with help from Adobe.

[Ton Frederiks]

Good to hear you've got is solved.