Convert grayscale image to black plus transparency?

[fmw42]

So this should be what is wanted:


convert sample-gray.jpeg -set colorspace gray \
\( -clone 0 -fill black -colorize 100% \) \
\( -clone 0 -negate \) \
-delete 0 -alpha off -compose copy_opacity -composite PNG32:sample_gray_correct.png





This also works and is shorter:

convert sample-gray.jpeg -set colorspace gray \
-negate -background black -alpha shape -background black -alpha background \
PNG32:sample_gray_correct2.png



see
http://www.imagemagick.org/Usage/masking/#alpha_shape
http://www.imagemagick.org/Usage/maskin ... background

[zrajm]

I had the exact same problem, and after much googling and reading of the ImageMagick documentation, this is what I've found.

To make the make the black pixels of an image transparent and keep the white pixels as they are, run this command:

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convert source.png -alpha copy -fx '#fff' result.png

To instead make the white pixels transparent and keep the black as they are, use:

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convert source.png -alpha copy -channel alpha -negate +channel -fx '#000' result.png

Let's explain that last command a bit more thoroughly:

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  convert

  – Is the ImageMagic command (one of several)

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  source.png

  – The greyscale source image.

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  -alpha copy

  – Copy contents of the previous file into the alpha channel.

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  -channel alpha

  – Specify that following operators only should affect the alpha channel.

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  -negate

  – Invert the alpha channel (will, because of the previous

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  -chanel alpha

  not affect any other part of the image).

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  +channel

  – Specify that following operators only should should affect the color channels, and no longer modify the alpha channel. (This is the default, and therefore we need not provide it in the first, simpler example.)

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  -fx '#000'

  – Replace color channel contents with black pixels. (Because of

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  +channel

  the alpha channel will not be affected).

It is quite important to include that final

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-fx

option, otherwise all semi-transparent pixels in generated image will retain colors. (Since these pixels are half-transparent, it might not be obvious, but the end result is not what one expect.)

I found the list of ImageMagick options quite useful: http://www.imagemagick.org/script/comma ... ptions.php