Alpha in Targa, not transparency

[Ken Warren]

Running PS 7.0.1 on Win NT. I want to "key" names/titles over video through a Panasonic MX-70 switcher, which requires 32-bit Targa format w/ alpha channel for its MX-NAVI software. When I save a PS image as a Targa, I get just white bg, not transparent, and it comes back as just one layer of course. The Adobe site says I don't need the Targa alpha channel plug-in for 7.0.1 The NAVI won't load a "psd" file and I am one stumped puppy.

[Chris Cox]

Photoshop 7 shipped using transparency for Targa files -- but that confused too many video users. So 7.0.1 changed back to using an alpha channel with Targa files. Also see the downloads section for Photoshop 7 that has the targa alpha channel version of the plugin available separately.

So, it depends on exactly which version you're using as to what you need to save in the Targa file.

BMP has always used an alpha channel, since the format does not support transparency.

[Ken Warren]

All right - so I create an image with transparent bg (leave the alpha channel alone). When I save it as a Targa, it comes back with white, not transparent, as the bg. What step am I missing? Do I need to mask the bg and paint it black? I want just the title information to be over video, not the whole image.

[Chris Cox]

Ken - again, which version of the plugin are you using?

It sounds like you're using the alpha channel version. What you saved was flattened, and you didn't add an alpha channel.

[Ken Warren]

I'm using PS 7.0.1 w/no plug-ins (that I'm aware of - I'm a capital-R rookie - I haven't added any). My understanding is that 7.0.1 has the alpha channel in Targa (instead of the transparency in 7.0) - when I've added an alpha channel, it's full-screen and I have not been able to modify it to "un-alpha" my text. You don't use the fill tool , do you?