Transparent background PNGs: when you need them and how

A transparent background PNG is an image where the background has been left empty, so only the logo, text or object remains and whatever sits underneath shows through. You need one whenever your design will be placed on something you didn't make: a logo on a client's website, a title over video footage, a sticker on a photo, a mark on a slide. PNG can do this because it stores an alpha channel, a fourth value for every pixel that says how see-through it is. JPG has no alpha channel, which is why a JPG logo always arrives in a white or coloured box.

How transparency works in a PNG

Every pixel in a normal image has three values: red, green and blue. A PNG with transparency adds a fourth, alpha, from fully transparent to fully solid. The in between values matter as much as the extremes. The soft edge of a letter, a gentle shadow or a glass effect is made of partly transparent pixels, and they let the design blend into whatever sits behind it.

For a deeper comparison of the two most common formats, see PNG vs JPG, and for logos on websites, SVG vs PNG explains when vector is the better choice.

When you need a transparent PNG

• Logos for other people to use. Partners, press, event organisers and sponsors place your logo on their own backgrounds. Send a transparent PNG, ideally in light and dark logo variations, plus an SVG.
• Titles and lower thirds in video. Video editors layer a transparent PNG over footage, so the words float on the picture.
• Stickers and overlays. Badges like "New" or "Sold", frames and price tags placed on photos or stories.
• Slides and documents. A logo or diagram that has to sit on a coloured slide without a white box.
• Websites. Icons, logos and illustrations placed over coloured sections or hero backgrounds.
• Merchandise and print on demand. Many print services ask for a transparent PNG so only the artwork is printed on the shirt or mug.

When a transparent background is the wrong choice

Transparency is for parts, not finished pieces. A social post, a story, a poster or an email header should be exported with its background, because that background is half the design. Most social platforms don't keep transparency in the posts you upload, and an empty area can be filled with a colour you didn't choose. Some marketplaces also ask for product photos on solid white rather than transparent, so check the platform's own rules.

How to make a transparent PNG

There are two routes. If you are designing the thing yourself, such as a title, a logo or a badge, build it with no background and export with transparency switched on. If you are starting from a photo, you need to remove the background first, by hand or with a removal tool, which is a different and harder job. The steps below cover the first route.

1. 1

   Design at the size you'll need

   Transparent files are often scaled up later, so export larger than you think: a wordmark at 2,000 px wide or more is a safe start.

2. 2

   Leave the background empty

   Hide or delete any background layer. Most tools show emptiness as a grey and white checkerboard.

3. 3

   Choose PNG with transparency

   In the export dialog, pick PNG and make sure transparency or a clear background is ticked. JPG will silently fill it with white.

4. 4

   Trim the edges

   Crop to the artwork with a little breathing room, so people placing it don't fight invisible margins.

5. 5

   Test on light and dark

   Drop the file onto a white page and a black page. Look for pale halos, missing shadows and text that disappears on one of them.

Transparent PNG export in Gradiently

In Gradiently, a design normally sits on its Mark, the living background behind everything. With Pro, you can export a transparent PNG instead: only your elements, such as text, shapes, icons and photos, on a clear background, with the Mark left out. That is the file to send a partner, drop into a video editor or place on a website. Pro also exports SVG for the same uses, and both come from the same design you post with its full background. As with any Gradiently export, the design's Mark must be yours. Exporting images and loops walks through every format, and for logos on colour, see logo on gradient background.