Is there a quick way to make it so the darker the color is, the less opacity it has?

[DorikoBac]

I need a completely white image, but instead of more colors, there's opacity replacing that, so whenever a color of any sort is placed under that white, you can see the image more clearly. Basically, get rid of all the black in this puppy, and make it so instead of black it's transparent. Is there a quick way to do that?

[Norman Sanders]

I believe this is the method you are looking for: an image mask where varying degrees of black control how much of the color beneath is seen.

Place two blank layers below the image layer

The bottom layer holds the color (Edit > Fill > Color)

The middle layer is filled with white.

Place the image, as a mask into the middle layer

(To do that: choose the image layer. Then Select > All. Edit > Copy. Next, after adding a mask to the White layer, Option-click on the mask. It will go white. Then Edit > Paste. Last, turn on the bottom and middle layers) and turn off the top layer.

In the examples above, the bottom layer color was changed.

Depending upon the image and color used, you may want to alter the contrast of the mask. (Use Curves or Levels)

NOTE: The effect is not unlike simply choosing the image, then Edit > Fill with the Blending mode set to Color.

[DorikoBac]

I don't understand what you did here:

(To do that: choose the image layer. Then Select > All. Edit > Copy. Next, after adding a mask to the White layer, Option-click on the mask. It will go white. Then Edit > Paste. Last, turn on the bottom and middle layers)

Also, does this method allow me to export the image to a .png with the "the darker black the less opacity the pixel has" thing?

[Norman Sanders]

To answer your final question first: a png file does not support layers, so a layered file with a mask is not a candidate. The method described has layers so, in saving as a png the file it will be flattened to a single composite image layer.

You wrote you don't understand the step where in puppy is used as a mask.

Here goes:

In this case, the mask is a black & white image, with varying amounts of black (grays).

A pure white area in the mask will cause the layer to show the full value of that area that is alongside the mask (in this case, white) and hide what is below.

A pure black part of the mask area will cause the full value of the layer directly below to be revealed.

Varying values of gray in the mask will allow various amounts of the bottom layer to be revealed.

To place the puppy picture -- a variety of tones that comprise the image -- into the mask:

Choose the puppy layer, the top one. Choose Select > All and then Edit > Copy

To paste the image into the mask you must:

Add a mask to the middle layer

Hold down the Option key and click on the mask in the Layers panel. The image area will become white.

Then release the Option key

Insert the puppy image that you had Selected and Copied by choosing Edit > Paste

Last, turn on the bottom and middle layers and turn off the top layer.

To repeat: An alternate simple method for a similar result: Just Edit>Fill the puppy layer with a color and the Fill Blending Mode set to Color. No additional layers, no mask.

Good luck.

NOTE: At one time there was an app called Fireworks available that did provide for png w/layers, but I don't know whether it is around anymore. I have never tried it.

[Nancy OShea]

Are you trying to make a transparent PNG?  In other words, just the puppy's face & paws on a transparent background  denoted by the checkerboard pattern.

I used the quick selection tool to select the puppy's face and paws.  Hit Ctrl+Shift+I to inverse the selection.  Hit Backspace key to remove the background.  See screenshot.