How to Make Semi-Transparent Buttons

Semi-transparency lets you display buttons that are neither fully transparent nor opaque. It's often used for glass or jelly buttons on Web pages. The button retains its features and appearance despite its transparency. Image editors such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Fireworks or Corel Paint Shop Pro have opacity level controls to set an image's semi-transparency. The transparency is preserved when you save the image as a GIF or PNG file. A button's semi-transparency is more evident when it's placed on different textures or surfaces on a Web page.

Things You'll Need

• Image-editing software such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Fireworks or Corel Paint Shop Pro

Instructions

Adobe Photoshop

1. Click the "File" menu in Adobe Photoshop and select "New." Enter the dimensions of the button you want to create, such as a width of 135 pixels and a height of 35 pixels. Select "Transparent" for the background color and click "OK."

2. Click "Windows" and "Layers" or press "F7" to open the Layers palette. Go to the Layers palette and click the "Create a new layer" button to insert a new layer.

3. Click the "Shape" tool in the Tools panel to reveal additional shapes. Select the "Rectangle" tool from the list.

4. Go to the tool options bar in the toolbar and click the "Shape Layers" button. Click the "Style" arrow and select a button style. Click the "Color" button to open the Color Picker dialog box. Select a foreground color and click "OK."

5. Click, hold and drag your mouse over the canvas to draw the rectangle.

6. Return to the Layers palette and go to the "Opacity" box in the top right. Enter the semi-transparency level you want to set, such as 15%.

7. Click the "Type" tool and select a font, font color and font size from the options bar. Click on the canvas and type your text for the button.

8. Click the "Move" tool in the Tools palette or press "V" to activate it. Drag the text where you'd like it to go on the button.

9. Select "File" and "Save As" from the menu. Name the file in the Save As dialog box and accept the Photoshop (PSD) file format. Click "Save."

10. Click "File" and "Save As" to reopen the Save As dialog box. Change "Format" to "PNG (*.PNG)" and click "Save."

Adobe Fireworks

1. Click the "File" menu in Adobe Fireworks and select "New." The New Document dialog box opens. Enter the dimensions of the button you want to create, such as a width of 135 pixels and a height of 35 pixels. Select "Transparent" for the canvas color and click "OK."

2. Go to the Layers palette and click the "New Bitmap Image" button.

3. Click and hold the "Rectangle" tool in the Tools panel and select the shape you want to use for the button.

4. Go to the Properties inspector in the bottom pane. Click the "Fill" color button and select a color for the button. Click the "Opacity" level and set it to 20.

5. Click, hold and drag your mouse over the canvas to draw the shape.

6. Return to the Layers palette and click the "New Bitmap Image" button.

7. Click the "Text" tool and select a font, font color and font size from the Properties inspector.

8. Click where you want the text to go on the canvas and type your button's text. Click the "Pointer" tool in the Tools palette and drag the text where you want it to appear on the button.

9. Select the "File" menu and click "Save." The Save As dialog box opens. Name the file in the "File name" text field and click "Save."

Corel Paint Shop Pro

1. Click "File" and "New" in the Corel Paint Shop Pro menu. The New Image dialog box opens. Go to the Image Dimensions section. Enter a height and width for the button you want to create. Go to the Image Characteristics section and select "Raster Background." Check the box next to "Transparent" for the color and click "OK."

2. Go to the Tools palette and click the "Shapes" tool arrow to expand it. Click the "Rectangle" tool or press "G" to activate it.

3. Select a foreground color and a background color from the Materials palette on the right.

4. Click, hold and drag your mouse over the canvas to create the button's rectangle.

5. Drag the "Opacity" level in the top area of the Layers palette to the level you want.

6. Click the "Text" tool in the Tools palette. Click on the canvas and type the button's text.

7. Select the "Apply Changes" button in the Text Tool options palette to apply the text. Drag the text with your mouse where you want it to appear on the button.

8. Click "File" and "Save As." Accept the "PNG Portable Network Graphics (*.png)" format. Name the file in the "File name" text field and click "Save."

References

• Adobe: Layer Basics
• Adobe: Adjust Opacity and Apply Blends
• Corel: Setting Layer Opacity