Skip to main content
M
margueritew46131361
Known Participant
August 30, 2018
Question

Export from Lightroom with a transparent background

  • August 30, 2018
  • 4 replies
  • 31433 views

Imported a picture with transparent background, exports with a white background. I chose to export in Tiff format (that was original) with "save transparency" but background is still white. HELP!

      This topic has been closed for replies.

      4 replies

      R
      Community Expert
      richardplondonCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      February 14, 2021

      The checkbox to include "transparency" isn't always sticky in my experience and may need to be checked again. 

       

      It's not enough to include "layers" when saving this TIFF, since LrC cannot interpret pixel transparency, nor layer opacity setting / layer masking, directly. LrC is completely reliant on the preview bitmap which PS includes whenever an image is layered (as all PS images with 'transparency' must be, by defnition). Unless Photoshop is told to include transparency when saving, it will substitute white for transparency then. So LrC won't have "seen" any transparency in the first place.

       

      But provided that save has happened correctly out of PS, then provided the format to be eventually exported is capable of representing it - hence PNG, but not JPG - in my own testing that transparency does seem to get preserved by LrC. Even though within LrC those transparent areas can only be previewed in white.

      J
      jmmsfa
      Participating Frequently
      February 14, 2021

      Thank you, that clarifies things a bit more.

      I did not get into detail but my problems happened because of my workflow.
      I use LrC and there are some raw imagens that I need to edit in PS, so I do it directly using the “Edit in…” command from LrC.
      When on PS I edit the images and create some layers with objects without background.
      When done I just save them and go back to LrC and a new TIFF version of the image appears next to the raw version, witch is good.
      Finally when exporting, in some cases I need a JPG (no transparency) and also a hi-res TIFF with transparency, but the transparency does not work by default.
      I need to go back to PS and ask to “Save as” and then check the transparency box.
      I don’t know if there is a way to make PS save the edit raw in TIFF with trasparency, by default.
      That would be perfect.

      L
      lukak72401968
      Participant
      September 19, 2023

      What made Lrc exports opaque for me, was that I edit images in PS by making masks!

      Masks cannot be read by Lrc, so it always exports them with white in place of the masks. When I apply the mask in PS, everything stays transparent in Lrc TIF export.

      M
      Mattia 13
      Participating Frequently
      March 4, 2020

      The fact is that you have to save the original tiff in wich you have transparency with the option "save Transparency" checked. If you are no sure how your tiff is saved just save as and overwrite the original with a new tiff with save transparency checked. If you do that LR export with correct transparency applied, that is:

      - no matter haw many layers you have in the original tiff, LR flatten out visible image into one layer, transparency remains

      - you can have clipping mask on the original tiff in visible layers, they will be applied

      - you can develop original tiff changing whatever parameter in LR, it will affect only visible part during export

      - final tiff will be all correction + developing preset in LR + clipping mask in original TIFF flatten out in single layer TIFF with transparency

       

      Hope this would help,

      cheers

        J
        jmmsfa
        Participating Frequently
        February 14, 2021

        Thank you Mattia,

        It looks that when edited from LR, PS does not save the file with the "preserve transparency" by default. I needed to "save as" and checked the "preserve transparency" box to make it work.

        It helped! Thank you.

          J
          Community Expert
          Jao vdLCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          August 31, 2018

          Hmm,

          just tried a file that has transparency (a photoshop tiff file with just a layer0 with holes in it and brushed all over it in Lightroom (including the transparent areas) and exported this file with the save transparency checkbox enabled and it maintained the transparency correctly. What version of Classic are you using?

          M
          margueritew46131361Author
          Known Participant
          September 6, 2018

          version 7.5

          JohanElzenga
          Community Expert
          JohanElzengaCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          August 30, 2018

          Lightroom does not support layers, so any export except ‘as original’ will flatten the image.

          -- Johan W. Elzenga
            M
            margueritew46131361Author
            Known Participant
            August 31, 2018

            I wonder why they have a "save transparency" setting if it won't save the transparency!  LOL  Frustrating!

            johnrellis
            johnrellis
            Legend
            August 31, 2018

            I think the Save Transparency setting is for preserving transparent pixels in the single image layer. For example, LR can create panoramas that have transparent pixels along the borders.  The transparency of those pixels will be preserved by Save Transparency -- otherwise they'll be turned into white pixels.

            Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
            Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices