images with transparent background automatically saving with white background

For some reason the handling of images on both of my macs with transparent backgrounds is 'odd', I can have an image with a transparent background which if I copy and try to move elsewhere when I paste it has a solid background.

Further if I try to save the image with a transparent background it saves it onto a white background.

I've noticed it for a few months (first when trying to update my photo watermark at the start of the year) first in preview, now trying to copy a graph from excel into keynote it is carrying a white background even though I have everything set to no fill.

Any help gratefully received because this is really frustrating

OS X El Capitan (10.11.3)

Posted on May 4, 2016 9:52 AM

21 replies

May 5, 2016 9:56 AM in response to Old Toad

I've tried that and I still have the same problem in preview selecting 'show image background makes no difference'

Old Toad

Level 10

215,876 points

May 5, 2016 10:05 AM in response to Fiona Dickinson

Drag this OT signature image to your Desktop

and open it with Preview. Does it show like this:

May 6, 2016 1:23 AM in response to Old Toad

no it shows on a plane grey background, if I select show image background this time it shows the checks...

I've redownloaded the image I was having problems with and this is now opening with a transparent background in preview and is saving with a transparent background (thank you)

but I'm still having problems with pasting the graph images from excel

May 6, 2016 2:37 AM in response to Fiona Dickinson

Fiona Dickinson wrote:

no it shows on a plane grey background, if I select show image background this time it shows the checks...

I've redownloaded the image I was having problems with and this is now opening with a transparent background in preview and is saving with a transparent background (thank you)

but I'm still having problems with pasting the graph images from excel

That is because excel is exporting the graphs with a white background.

Fortunately, it may be really easy to remove it.

1) Select the graph in excel, press command-C to Copy

2) In Preview press command-N to create a new file with the clipboard contents.

3) Save as a png file.

4) Click little markup tool button (looks like a toolbox or a bag)

5) Select the magic wand tool. Click and drag on the white background. Press delete. You will end up with something like this:

May 6, 2016 2:54 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

I had tried this before it eats my lines, excel should not be exporting with a background though as they are set to transparent... this is what I see in excel, and what I see in preview after the 'magic wand'and the 'transparent' image pasted into excel with show background deselected...

and how my transparent graph looks when dropped in keynote If I try and use instant alpha it cuts the lines really badly so there are horrible white edges and parts of the lines eaten away.

May 6, 2016 4:30 AM in response to Fiona Dickinson

Here is a possible workaround - it seemed to work in my limited testing:

1) Edit the chart as you want it in Excel - including setting all the transparency in the chart area and plot area. Save the document.

2) Open the document in Numbers. Copy the chart

3) Command-N in Preview.

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images with transparent background automatically saving with white background