Converting .emf images to .gifs loses background image.

[Guest]

I've noticed in certain presentations where large images are used or where
the slide itself is an image, that when I convert the .emf image to a .gif
image to use on the web, the background image disappears and the image turns
white. Any ideas from anyone on why that would happen? Am I losing some
transparency information? Thank you...

 

[Echo S]

I'd guess that yes, you're losing transparency. How exactly are you going
about creating your images? You mention converting the EMF image (what EMF
image?) to GIF, but remember -- we can't see what you're doing there, so you
have to explain it to us.

Also, when you say "large images," how large is large?

 

[Guest]

Thank you for your response. I receive PowerPoint presentations from clients
and I've noticed in several presentations that if they copy/paste an image (I
don't know how they create it) over a white background, that once I export
that image as an .emf and convert it to a .gif, the image gets stripped out,
leaving just the white background behind.
Is there any way of modifying the export function or transparency settings
of Powerpoint? Thank you...Zhaleh

I'd guess that yes, you're losing transparency. How exactly are you going
about creating your images? You mention converting the EMF image (what EMF
image?) to GIF, but remember -- we can't see what you're doing there, so you
have to explain it to us.

Also, when you say "large images," how large is large?

--
Echo [MS PPT MVP]
http://www.echosvoice.com

I've noticed in certain presentations where large images are used or where
the slide itself is an image, that when I convert the .emf image to a .gif
image to use on the web, the background image disappears and the image turns
white. Any ideas from anyone on why that would happen? Am I losing some
transparency information? Thank you...

 

[Echo S]

Sorry, I'm still a bit lost.

Okay, so you have PPT presentations that have images in them. The PPT files
have white backgrounds. The images were copied from somewhere and pasted
into PPT. (Since you don't know really how your clients created the
image/PPT file, it could even be that they've used Insert/Picture/From File
to get the image into PPT, then, right?)

I think I followed that part okay. But here's where I get lost --

"...once I export that image as an .emf..."

How are you exporting as EMF? Are you using File/Save As/ and choosing EMF?
Are you using code to export the EMFs? Are you right-clicking the image and
using Save As Picture? There are a million ways to get an image out of PPT,
and since we can't see what you're doing there, you have to be very very
specific when you tell us how you are creating ("exporting") your EMFs.

"...and convert it to a .gif..."

How are you converting to .GIF? Are you using Photoshop? Irfranview? Some
converter thingy you wrote? Again, there are a million ways to convert an
EMF to a GIF, and since we can't see what you're doing there, you have to be
very very specific when you tell us how you are creating ("converting to")
GIFs.

Did you look at the EMF before you converted to GIF? Maybe everything drops
out when you export the EMF (however it is you're doing that). Maybe the
image part doesn't even make it to the "convert to GIF" stage.

Have you tried changing the PPT background? If the PPT background is white
and the background of the pasted picture is white, the pasted picture may
not even be transparent--but you won't be able to tell. Change the PPT slide
background to bright green or something so you can see if the image actually
has a transparent background to start with.

"...the image gets stripped out, leaving just the white background behind."

I guess I also don't understand where the transparency settings part of the
question comes in, then. What you're saying here is that you get no image,
only white background as your end result.

So I'm sorry, I guess I just can't wrap my head around what you're actually
doing and what is actually happening. And I also don't understand why you
aren't just right-clicking the image and using Save As Picture and choosing
GIF in the first place. Perhaps you don't have that option in the version of
PPT you're using?

--
Echo [MS PPT MVP]
http://www.echosvoice.com

Thank you for your response. I receive PowerPoint presentations from clients
and I've noticed in several presentations that if they copy/paste an image (I
don't know how they create it) over a white background, that once I export
that image as an .emf and convert it to a .gif, the image gets stripped out,
leaving just the white background behind.
Is there any way of modifying the export function or transparency settings
of Powerpoint? Thank you...Zhaleh

I'd guess that yes, you're losing transparency. How exactly are you going
about creating your images? You mention converting the EMF image (what EMF
image?) to GIF, but remember -- we can't see what you're doing there, so you
have to explain it to us.

Also, when you say "large images," how large is large?

--
Echo [MS PPT MVP]
http://www.echosvoice.com

I've noticed in certain presentations where large images are used or where
the slide itself is an image, that when I convert the .emf image to a ..gif
image to use on the web, the background image disappears and the image turns
white. Any ideas from anyone on why that would happen? Am I losing some
transparency information? Thank you...

 

[Guest]

I have PPT presentations with images placed on top of the slides. The PPT
slides have white backgrounds. I don't know how the client created the image
on top of the slides.
I click File/Save As and choose the .emf option and the images look fine
when I view them in Windows.
Once I convert the .emfs to .gifs using Irfanview, that is when that image
that was placed on top of the slide "disappears" and the white background is
all that is left.
One solution is to change the background of the PPT slides to match the
color of the image. However, as my job is in Production and I have to produce
at least 15 multimedia presentations a day, I was hoping for a quicker fix.
That is also the reason I do not save each individual image as a .gif using
the "Save as Picture" option. The average presentation has about 35 slides in
them and this would be a very time-consuming method.
Our R&D dept has suggested that the export function (the File/Save As
feature) is doing something with the "alpha channel." I don't know what that
means, but maybe that will help you. Thanks...

Sorry, I'm still a bit lost.

Okay, so you have PPT presentations that have images in them. The PPT files
have white backgrounds. The images were copied from somewhere and pasted
into PPT. (Since you don't know really how your clients created the
image/PPT file, it could even be that they've used Insert/Picture/From File
to get the image into PPT, then, right?)

I think I followed that part okay. But here's where I get lost --

"...once I export that image as an .emf..."

How are you exporting as EMF? Are you using File/Save As/ and choosing EMF?
Are you using code to export the EMFs? Are you right-clicking the image and
using Save As Picture? There are a million ways to get an image out of PPT,
and since we can't see what you're doing there, you have to be very very
specific when you tell us how you are creating ("exporting") your EMFs.

"...and convert it to a .gif..."

How are you converting to .GIF? Are you using Photoshop? Irfranview? Some
converter thingy you wrote? Again, there are a million ways to convert an
EMF to a GIF, and since we can't see what you're doing there, you have to be
very very specific when you tell us how you are creating ("converting to")
GIFs.

Did you look at the EMF before you converted to GIF? Maybe everything drops
out when you export the EMF (however it is you're doing that). Maybe the
image part doesn't even make it to the "convert to GIF" stage.

Have you tried changing the PPT background? If the PPT background is white
and the background of the pasted picture is white, the pasted picture may
not even be transparent--but you won't be able to tell. Change the PPT slide
background to bright green or something so you can see if the image actually
has a transparent background to start with.

"...the image gets stripped out, leaving just the white background behind."

I guess I also don't understand where the transparency settings part of the
question comes in, then. What you're saying here is that you get no image,
only white background as your end result.

So I'm sorry, I guess I just can't wrap my head around what you're actually
doing and what is actually happening. And I also don't understand why you
aren't just right-clicking the image and using Save As Picture and choosing
GIF in the first place. Perhaps you don't have that option in the version of
PPT you're using?

--
Echo [MS PPT MVP]
http://www.echosvoice.com

Thank you for your response. I receive PowerPoint presentations from clients
and I've noticed in several presentations that if they copy/paste an image (I
don't know how they create it) over a white background, that once I export
that image as an .emf and convert it to a .gif, the image gets stripped out,
leaving just the white background behind.
Is there any way of modifying the export function or transparency settings
of Powerpoint? Thank you...Zhaleh

I'd guess that yes, you're losing transparency. How exactly are you going
about creating your images? You mention converting the EMF image (what EMF
image?) to GIF, but remember -- we can't see what you're doing there, so you
have to explain it to us.

Also, when you say "large images," how large is large?

--
Echo [MS PPT MVP]
http://www.echosvoice.com

I've noticed in certain presentations where large images are used or where
the slide itself is an image, that when I convert the .emf image to a ..gif
image to use on the web, the background image disappears and the image
turns
white. Any ideas from anyone on why that would happen? Am I losing some
transparency information? Thank you...

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

I have PPT presentations with images placed on top of the slides. The PPT
slides have white backgrounds. I don't know how the client created the image
on top of the slides.
I click File/Save As and choose the .emf option and the images look fine
when I view them in Windows.
Once I convert the .emfs to .gifs using Irfanview, that is when that image
that was placed on top of the slide "disappears" and the white background is
all that is left.

Try saving as GIF directly from PowerPoint. Why bother with the additional
steps? You don't have to save each image individually. Save the whole
presentation, choose GIF as the Save As type and when PPT asks if you want to
save the whole thing, say yes.

One solution is to change the background of the PPT slides to match the
color of the image. However, as my job is in Production and I have to produce
at least 15 multimedia presentations a day, I was hoping for a quicker fix.
That is also the reason I do not save each individual image as a .gif using
the "Save as Picture" option. The average presentation has about 35 slides in
them and this would be a very time-consuming method.
Our R&D dept has suggested that the export function (the File/Save As
feature) is doing something with the "alpha channel." I don't know what that
means, but maybe that will help you. Thanks...

Sorry, I'm still a bit lost.

Okay, so you have PPT presentations that have images in them. The PPT files
have white backgrounds. The images were copied from somewhere and pasted
into PPT. (Since you don't know really how your clients created the
image/PPT file, it could even be that they've used Insert/Picture/From File
to get the image into PPT, then, right?)

I think I followed that part okay. But here's where I get lost --

"...once I export that image as an .emf..."

How are you exporting as EMF? Are you using File/Save As/ and choosing EMF?
Are you using code to export the EMFs? Are you right-clicking the image and
using Save As Picture? There are a million ways to get an image out of PPT,
and since we can't see what you're doing there, you have to be very very
specific when you tell us how you are creating ("exporting") your EMFs.

"...and convert it to a .gif..."

How are you converting to .GIF? Are you using Photoshop? Irfranview? Some
converter thingy you wrote? Again, there are a million ways to convert an
EMF to a GIF, and since we can't see what you're doing there, you have to be
very very specific when you tell us how you are creating ("converting to")
GIFs.

Did you look at the EMF before you converted to GIF? Maybe everything drops
out when you export the EMF (however it is you're doing that). Maybe the
image part doesn't even make it to the "convert to GIF" stage.

Have you tried changing the PPT background? If the PPT background is white
and the background of the pasted picture is white, the pasted picture may
not even be transparent--but you won't be able to tell. Change the PPT slide
background to bright green or something so you can see if the image actually
has a transparent background to start with.

"...the image gets stripped out, leaving just the white background behind."

I guess I also don't understand where the transparency settings part of the
question comes in, then. What you're saying here is that you get no image,
only white background as your end result.

So I'm sorry, I guess I just can't wrap my head around what you're actually
doing and what is actually happening. And I also don't understand why you
aren't just right-clicking the image and using Save As Picture and choosing
GIF in the first place. Perhaps you don't have that option in the version of
PPT you're using?

--
Echo [MS PPT MVP]
http://www.echosvoice.com

Thank you for your response. I receive PowerPoint presentations from clients
and I've noticed in several presentations that if they copy/paste an image (I
don't know how they create it) over a white background, that once I export
that image as an .emf and convert it to a .gif, the image gets stripped out,
leaving just the white background behind.
Is there any way of modifying the export function or transparency settings
of Powerpoint? Thank you...Zhaleh

:

I'd guess that yes, you're losing transparency. How exactly are you going
about creating your images? You mention converting the EMF image (what EMF
image?) to GIF, but remember -- we can't see what you're doing there, so you
have to explain it to us.

Also, when you say "large images," how large is large?

--
Echo [MS PPT MVP]
http://www.echosvoice.com

I've noticed in certain presentations where large images are used or where
the slide itself is an image, that when I convert the .emf image to a ..gif
image to use on the web, the background image disappears and the image
turns
white. Any ideas from anyone on why that would happen? Am I losing some
transparency information? Thank you...

 

[Echo S]

One solution is to change the background of the PPT slides to match the
color of the image.

I don't know that that would solve the problem as described, but it's
certainly worth a shot.

However, as my job is in Production and I have to produce
at least 15 multimedia presentations a day, I was hoping for a quicker fix.
That is also the reason I do not save each individual image as a .gif using
the "Save as Picture" option. The average presentation has about 35 slides in
them and this would be a very time-consuming method.

Okay, but the same principle holds. Why convert to EMF and then to GIF when
you could just use File/Save As and choose GIF instead of EMF?

Our R&D dept has suggested that the export function (the File/Save As
feature) is doing something with the "alpha channel." I don't know what that
means, but maybe that will help you. Thanks...

FWIW, I just tried the following here:
Open PPT
Open a new blank PPT file (which means that my PPT file has a white
background)
Insert/Picture/From File. I inserted a GIF of the MVP logo onto the slide.
(It's the one I used on my website, actually.)
File/Save As. Select EMF and save.
Open Irfanview (v 3.95 -- which is probably terribly old)
File/Open and open the EMF I just created
File/Save and save as a GIF
In Windows Explorer, double-click the GIF file, which then opens in Office
Picture Manager.
It looks fine. It's got the MVP logo on a white background.

I tried the same thing using a copy/paste instead of Insert/Picture/From
File, too. Opened the MVPLogo.GIF in Office Picture Manager and went to
Edit/Copy. In PPT, I used CTRL+V to paste the logo onto a blank slide.
Performed the Save as EMF, opened the EMF in Irfanview and saved as a GIF.
Got the same result -- MVP logo on a white background.

If I were you, I'd try just using File/Save As and select GIF instead of
EMF.

Echo