transparency issue

[rooster]

ey again all
I am using photoshop CS5 to create a small image (60x60) with a transparent background. I make the image with the transparent background, save it as a png file and resave it as a jpg to use.
When I save it as the jpg so I can open it somewhere else, it has a white background. I know windows will put the white in it as a thumbnail, but when I hopen it in a program like dreamweaver, it puts the white bg on it. This is not for a web design project, but something else. I thought you guys might have good insight. It it because its a jpg file? Should I save it as something different?
Thanks!

 

[Phreaddee]

Just leave it as a png.
Jpg cannot be tranparent.

 

[d a v e]

what is it for then if not for a web design project? might help us suggest the best format

 

[rooster]

Ill try leaving it as a png.
Its for a blackberry theme. The new message indicator icon. The image has to be 60x60 to cover the whole icon, but you only use a small part and leave the rest transparent.

 

[Websynergi]

Remember you can use transparency with a gif.
It'll be supported by older browsers (ie6) with this method. You can use the !important; on your style sheet and use both.

 

[Phreaddee]

yes gifs and ie6, if you care for that rubbish.

gif quality is far inferior to a png. and no one of worth uses ie6 anymore.

 

[d a v e]

Phreaddee

"gif quality is far inferior to a png" - are you talking about gif vs png-8?

if so i would like to see some examples or some documentation
the only real difference i know about is that png-8 is usually around 10-20% smaller

 

[Phreaddee]

well gif/png-8 are about the same in dodgyness
png-24 on the other hand...

 

[d a v e]

ah png 24 i see nothing wrong with limited palette aas long as you don't need more than the 256 colours and remember that png-8 also supports alpha transparency

 

[Phreaddee]

If it is a limited colour palette, and say a logo, I will try both the png8 and the png24 options before committing to either.

if there is not a noticeable difference in the display (which there often is with thin hair lines and such) it will come down to file size.
a 6kb png-8 which renders 98% like the 25kb png-24 well I would probably use the png-8.

having said that, it just doesnt normally appear crisp enough for my liking.

 

[d a v e]

you probably have a better monitor than me

technically i don't understand why a 24 bit png would look better than an 8 bit png, assuming no colours are discarded in the 8-bit png.

as you say, previewing options is the best way