PNG Files show with black background - not transparent?

Question

PNG Files show with black background - not transparent?

Hello:

Here's the problem:

First - I have been working with these two applications (Illustrator & Final Cut) for over two years and have NEVER had a problem. I open up my computer yesterday, start working and this problem had magically developed...

I export artwork from Illustrator as a (transparent) png file. I load it in to Final Cut (very easy procedure) and instead of it being transparent, now all of a sudden it has a black background. It shows that way both in Preview and when you load it in to FCX.

After spending TWO+ hours with Adobe support yesterday, (thinking it was them) we found out that it will load in transparent to PowerPoint but will not in Preview or in Final Cut. In those two programs the background is black. So Illustrator actually is exporting fine.

Does anyone know what the problem could possibly be? I did not mess with any settings or preferences in FCPX or on the computer (unless it's basic) since I really don't know what I'm doing there. I get scared I'll really mess something up if I do that, so I leave them alone.

Please help...I have not been able to do any work due to this issue. Thank you!!

Posted on Aug 6, 2022 8:05 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Luis Sequeira1

Level 9

65,150 points

Aug 7, 2022 1:47 AM in response to Creator_needs_help

What Fox said; and to make it easier to spot the transparent areas, go to Final Cut Pro->Preferences->Playback and change the background from Black to Checkerboard.

This should make it abundantly clear that the transparency is ok.

The real problem is with Preview (and also Quicklook, and Quicktime Player). In some recent version it stopped showing transparency as it used to.

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Answer 2

fox_m

Level 6

12,304 points

Aug 6, 2022 8:33 PM in response to Creator_needs_help

Final Cut's background (appearance) is black by default, even if nothing is in that space (like the black background of a Basic Title - which has no background at all, just the text.) Are you sure the PNGs are opaque? Place the PNG *over* the storyline with some kind of media below it.

Also, you can go to the View menu and Select > Alpha from the Channels section. Anything alpha will be black and anything opaque will be white — anything semi-transparent will be a shade of gray.

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Answer 3

Aug 8, 2022 6:14 PM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Hi Luis:

This seemed to do the trick. Thank you so very much!!! I still don't understand why Apple would change this, it is so basic and so necessary. I agree. I see this happening in Preview too, as I previously stated. Even with the changes you suggested it acts sketchy and doesn't always work...at least with one of the plugins I am using in Final Cut that has a drop zone.

This is frustrating to say the least. But at least I don't feel like I am going crazy anymore! So, thank you once again!!

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Answer 4

Aug 8, 2022 6:19 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

To Everyone Else- Thank you for responding so quickly with your troubleshooting ideas. I truly appreciate all of you who are on here helping the rest of us out. We couldn't do it without you and your help!

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