Problem exporting transparent png file.

[defaultwy7gscunzaw4]

I have an image with a transparent background.  I'd like to export it retaining the transparent background.  However, the exported png always saves with a white background.

Things I've tried:

in export as, file is set to png and transparent is ticked

I've tried saving the image as a png, and it saves with a white background

I've gone into my artboard tool and set the background to transparent

I've right clicked on the layer and tried export as png from there

None of these have worked for me.  So I'm thinking it might be a bug?  I'm running version 24.0.1 on windows 11.

Any help will be much appreciated.

[TheDigitalDog]

Saves with a white bkgnd views where and how after you save?

Maybe this will help:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6hvuUf2Smw

[rayek.elfin]

Check the following setting:

Preferences / Export / Use legacy "Export As".

Is it unchecked? If so, that might be the issue when exporting an 8bit transparent PNG. Your background might not be 100% transparent, and this would result in a white background with these settings.

[defaultwy7gscunzaw4]

It was unchecked.  However, I checked it and still get a white background.

[defaultwy7gscunzaw4]

Have a look at this screen shot of my export settings.

[defaultwy7gscunzaw4]

It saves to the location on my pc with a white background.  And it uploads to Adobe Express with a white background.

[rayek.elfin]

When you open the exported file in Photoshop: still a white background?

[TheDigitalDog]

What's important is that PS and applications that support transparency show the transparency; many will show white.

[FartsyPartypig]

This may be old but I do have a simple contribution after going through this myself; reading these answers and not liking any of them. my experience is as follows;

exported an isolated moth as png with transparent background

uploaded into illustrator but theres a white background

***-this white is the artboard not the asset you made-***

do not select your object if you have click off of it by clicking anywhere on the white part which is the artboard

on the right side look at your properties. underneath transform which has measurments information is rulers and grids

click on the black and white checkerboard icon it as of 2024 is the third and last icon in the selection. selecting the black and white checkerboard icon makes your artboart transparent. this resolved my version of this problem.

[Chamicara De Silva]

Hi,

There're few reasons why your PNG might not be transparent in PS. 

1. That you're using wrong File Format(You should be using PNG-24 file format)

2. Your Image might have an Alpha channel, but it is not set as the Transparency Channel. You can check this by going to the Channels TAB and seeing if there is an alpha channel listed. If so, simply click on it to set it as the transparency channel. Then your image might have a background layer that is not transparent. To Check this, Go to the Layers TAB and see if there is a Background Layer listed. If so, simply double-click on it to make it transparent.

Follow Below Steps for More,

1) Go to channels TAB and select all except the Alpha Channel. Then on the top menu, click Select>Load Selection.

Then, load the selection to channel Alpha 1. Click Ok once done.

2) Go back to your channels TAB, right-click on Alpha 1 and select Delete Channel. This will allows for an easier way to make the background of your image transparent.

3) Copy and paste the layer with background in the Layers TAB and then unhide it to see the newly pasted one. You should now have a copy of the PNG image with transparent background.

[defaultwy7gscunzaw4]

No.  It opens with a transparent background.  However, if I open the same file in Illustrator, or upload it to Express it reverts to a white background.

[defaultwy7gscunzaw4]

My image has only one layer.  And I don't have an alpha channel.

I think the file format for transparent png's in PS is actually PNG-32.

[TheDigitalDog]

No.  It opens with a transparent background.

By defaultwy7gscunzaw4

We are done here; the image has a transparent bkgnd. This isn't a PS bug! 

What you might or might not see elsewhere again depends on if the product can preview the transparency, and not all can. 

[defaultwy7gscunzaw4]

Ok.  It's not a bug.  However, whatever the issue, it remains unsolved.  Maybe you could confirm if Illustrator and Express support transparent png files?

[Abambo]

Illustrator surly supports transparent images. 

[Douglas Stefani]

It worked for me! I put all the layers inside a group and export this group to PNG (right click on the group > Quick export as PNG)

[ah-doh-bay-sucks]

It's annoying that he even has to do that but @Douglas Stefani method works fine. I had the same issue. If it's a limitation of the viewing software as @TheDigitalDog suggests, than that is just plain sad. I export a transparent background, I expect apps to open the image with a transparent background, not autofill it with white, which ruins the purpose of it being tranparent... 

[rayek.elfin]

@Douglas StefaniSorry to be the bearer of bad news: your method does not work.

Obviously it is possible to export a fully transparent 24bit PNG file with 8bit transparency.

This discussion is, however, focused on exporting 8bit indexed PNG files with full transparency. And that is not resolved with your method either.

Quick exporting a layer group results in a 24bit PNG with 8bit transparency file. Quick Exporting As with 8bit indexed PNG results in a 1bit transparency.

And thus this ridiculous and silly saga continues. No other image editor or web image optimization utility behaves like this. Only in the minds of certain Photoshop developers is the world flat while it is actually round.