PHP gdLib 8-Bit PNG with alpha

Question

how is it possible to save my image, created with gd, as an png-8?

it saves as gif with transparent channel well - but I want to use png-8.

Best Regards, Beerweasle

Parting

Answer 1

Using imagesavealpha() and a transparent bg color should do the trick...

Based on dfilkovi's code:

<?php
// Create a new true color image
$im = new imagecreatetruecolor(100, 100);

// Fill with alpha background
$alphabg = imagecolorallocatealpha($im, 0, 0, 0, 127);
imagefill($im, 0, 0, $alphabg);

// Convert to palette-based with no dithering and 255 colors with alpha
imagetruecolortopalette($im, false, 255);
imagesavealpha($im, true);

// Save the image
imagepng($im, './paletteimage.png');
imagedestroy($im);
?>

Marni

Answer 2

@Sonny

false assumption: PNG of any bit depth can have transparency. It is recorded in the tRNS chunk of the png image (except for truecolor ones) cf format definition

cf www.libpng.org/pub/png/spec/1.2/PNG-Chunks.html#C.tRNS

idem www.w3.org/TR/PNG-Chunks.html#C.tRNS

The difference is how it is recorder: RGBA has a unique record per pixel, with 4 values (3 colors and 1 alpha channel), where "paletted" PNG records alpha channel in its own chunk.

Fireworks is very good at it.

Examples:

http://www.libpng.org/pub/png/pngs-img.html

Setsukosett

Answer 3

I think this could help you.

http://roseindia.net/tutorial/php/phpgd/About-transparent.html

Conservator

Not really. Thats actually what i do with imagegif - but if i use imagepng, its an 24-Bit image – Parting

AFAIK, PNGs with alpha transparency have to be 24 bit. For 8-bit PNGs you have to choose a color from the palette to be transparent. – Chlorohydrin

Answer 4

<?php
// Create a new true color image
$im = new imagecreatetruecolor(100, 100);

// Convert to palette-based with no dithering and 255 colors
imagetruecolortopalette($im, false, 255);

// Save the image
imagepng($im, './paletteimage.png');
imagedestroy($im);
?>

this should make 8bit png

Conservator

If i do this, the transparency goes away – Parting

Answer 5

Building on dfilkovi's solution, have you tried using imagesavealpha() to save the full alpha channel information?

Edin

Answer 6

I had to add the line imagecolortransparent($im, $alphabg); to the following code (taken from previous answer) for this to work:

// Fill with alpha background
$alphabg = imagecolorallocatealpha($im, 0, 0, 0, 127);
imagecolortransparent($im, $alphabg);
imagefill($im, 0, 0, $alphabg);

// Convert to palette-based with no dithering and 255 colors with alpha
imagetruecolortopalette($im, false, 255);
imagesavealpha($im, true);

// Save the image
imagepng($im, './paletteimage.png');
imagedestroy($im);
?>

Passable