User Guide

Canvas 12 User Guide
Option Result
New Selection Removes any current selections and creates a new selection
Add to Selection Preserves the current selection and selects additional pixels based on
the channel
Subtract from
Selection
Removes pixels from the current selection based on the channel
Intersect with
Selection
Creates a new selection composed of pixels that appear in both the
current selection and the channel you are loading
Preserving channels in exported images
Canvas image channels are compatible with the alpha channels used in other image-editing
programs, including Adobe Photoshop. However, you must use the correct procedure to preserve
alpha channels when you export an image into Photoshop format.
If you want to export an image into Photoshop format and preserve the image’s alpha channels, be
sure to choose Image | Export, rather than the Save As command.
If you use the Save As command and choose Photoshop format, the resulting file will not contain the
alpha channels associated with the image.
To export an image with alpha channels:
1. Select the paint object in the Canvas document.
2. Choose Image | Export | Photoshop.
3. In the dialog box, specify a location to save the file, type a file name, and click Save to export
the selected image as a Photoshop file.
Understanding image channels
Canvas uses up to 24 channels to store the digital information that makes up the image in a paint
object.
There are three types of channels: color or image channels, alpha channels, and channel masks. All
images have at least one channel. An image can also contain one or more alpha channels and a single
channel mask, if you create them.
The Channels palette displays the channels of an image. Whenever an image is in edit mode, you can
use the Channels palette to select and edit channels.
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