* Before you read beyond this point, make sure you have this file PNG.8bi

This tutorial is on how to use alpha channels in Photoshop. I use Photoshop 6.01 from Adobe (the best image editing program in the world). This tutorial assumes you know how to make a sking in tribes 2 or have done so all ready

So Lets get started....

1. All graphics displayed on your monitors use 3 channels of information (Red, Green, Blue). For the world of print and video editing there is another channel (layer) of information that the use to specify what is transparent. This is a grey scale layer that is called the alpha channel.

2. The alpha channel is set up so the more white an area is the more opaque (solid) it is. The darker the more transparent it is. For Tribes skins that is actually backwards. The more white an area is the more reflective that area is.

3. Open up photoshop and the skin you are working on. Add a new alpha channel by clicking on this button..

This adds a new alpha channel so it now looks like this

Just click on the little empty square (where the eyball used to be to bring back all the color layer (R-G-B)

*Note - to have the layers display their colors, go in to the prefs for photoshop. Go to the displays and cursors page and check mark the Color Channales in Colour option as seen below

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