Tutorial: What is a Transparency?

What is the difference between an Overlay and a Transparency?  They both can provide texture; a grungy, shabby, or distressed look; or even a pattern, based upon their creators intent and design. Here’s the difference:

• Greyscale overlays are saved in jpg format, and there are no transparent areas visible in them.
• Transparencies are saved in png format, and there is transparency visible in them.

Both overlays and transparencies have a place in my digi-scrap stash.   They both can give different results, depending on what colors you are working with, what textures are involved, and most importantly, what blending modes are applied.

Below is an example of a transparency giving the same look as a jpg overlay.
For the example on the left, I placed the Distressed Transparency Set 3, #4 over a paper; I changed the Blend Mode of the Transparency to Soft Light.

I next placed the Distressed Transparency Set 3, #4 over a solid layer of gray color and merged the 2 layers. This turned the Transparency into a jpg overlay. Now I was ready to compare the transparency to the jpg overlay.

I placed my newly-created jpg overlay on a layer above the same paper and changed the blend mode of the overlay to Soft Light, as in the Transparency example. As you can see, there is virtually no difference here.



But, by using the Divide Blend Mode, we get a totally different look.  The Transparency is on the left, and the jpg overlay is on the right.  The Divide Blend mode is only affecting the solid areas of the Transparency itself, allowing the other paper to show through beautifully.  The Divide Blend Mode looks different when using the jpg, because the entire overlay is affected, since there is no transparency on the greyscale overlay.



Sometimes a transparency is best. Sometimes a jpg is best.  Experimentation is the key… and the fun!

Tutorial by SnickerdoodleDesigns!

To see all of SnickerdoodleDesigns product at CUdigitals, click on her logo below.



 

 

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