Photo Jumble v.2.5 can works with non rectangular layers with alpha mask. You may create these layers
by loading alpha masked image into layers. Current version supports three alpha masked file formats:
1 - Four channels uncompressed RGBA .TIF files.
2 - Four channels compressed PNG .PNG files.
3 - Our own Photo Jumble Object .PJO file format.
Four channels uncompressed RGBA .TIF format is good in all ways except of it's file size. 500 x 500 pixels
image in this format has about 1 MB size. We think it will be too much waste for traffic if we will distribute
these files for downloading. Especially for the web distribution we designed or own .PJO file format. The
same 500 x 500 pixels image in .PJO format is 10 times smaller and has less than 100 kB size. That way
you may download some alpha masked libraries from our site in .PJO file format, and create your own
libraries in 4 channels uncompressed RGBA .TIF files format.
To create your own RGBA .TIF files you need some third party graphic editor like Photoshop or Gimp. You
need to trace object with lasso (or scissors) tool, create a selection around the object and save this selection
as a new channel. The image below shows sea shell photo in RGBA .TIF format opened in Photoshop.
When you create objects for Photo Jumble libraries you must finish editing with similar four channel image
and save it in .TIF format file with no compression.
Note:
Sometimes it is good idea to contract and/or soften selection edges before saving selection as
the new image channel.
We recommend you make all images in the library with the same aspect ratio. Even if real objects
have different width/height aspects we recommend to fit them into same aspect rectangle before
cutting off background.
Bad library: images have different proportions:
Good library: the same images have the same proportions:
When you create a new RGBA library with New Library Screen dialogue you need to select RGBA library mode and use a higher sampling ratio. We recommend to use sampling about 12 or
14 for RGBA libraries.
Layers Border are not working properly with transparent layers. You need to uncheck
"Rectangular Layers with Borders" check box at the Page Setup
dialogue to enter masked layers
mode:
