How to create an Alpha Channel

[tonyp123 Profile]

I have a photo where I selected the sky. Now I have to apply an Alpha channel to it. Here are the Photoshop instructions provided by the author.

The next important step is to add an Alpha channel. Select your 'solid' horizon and add an alpha channel. The black represents 'no transparency' (so that your foreground is opaque) and the white represents '100% transparency' (so that your horizon's sky is transparent and Starry Night can fill it in for you.) Consult your image editing software's manual on how to add an alpha channel to an image. Although optional, the Alpha channel allows you to only see the horizon in your final image.

Turning only the alpha channel on, results in the image below. Ensure that the white area represents the sky.

[Arwin Profile]

SPE does not support alpha channels or transparency, SPE used other approaches..
You can use tutorials for PS or other programs but I would not suggest, unless you know all in and out of SPE, you need to translate on the fly your tutorial to get it work in SPE (asks also a bit of creativity )

To replace a sky, just use the Select Area tool and choose for Sky, mask the sky part of the photo and choose and appropriate sky/cloud effect.
Here is some more explanation about sky replacement and a video tutorial.

Hope this will help you to get on track!

Succes,
Arwin

Edit: Here you will find a lot of tutorials about SPE.

[tonyp123 Profile]

Thanks Arwin