User Guide

Using Alpha Channels222
This helps soften the edges of the
channel.
If you want to invert the channel,
enable the Inverted check box.
Tip
•
The preview window in the Color
dialog box shows the channel as a red
overlay on the image. You can drag in the
preview to see other parts of the image.
Importing Channels from
Other Programs
When RGB files that were created in
Photoshop are opened in Corel
Painter, anything in the alpha
channels (#4 and above) will appear
as a channel in Corel Painter.
Conversely, when you save your Corel
Painter file in Photoshop format, all
channels are placed into channels #4
and above.
Managing Channels
The Channels palette lists the RGB
color image and each channel you’ve
saved.
If a layer is selected, and the layer has
a layer mask, the Channels palette
also lists the layer mask. For
information about layer masks, refer
to “Working with Layer Masks” on
page 255.
To display the Channels palette:
• Choose Window menu > Show
Channels.
If the palette is not expanded, click
the palette arrow.
Selecting and Viewing
Channels
If you want to edit a particular
channel, you must select it.
You can view or hide a channel. The
eye icon next to the channel’s
thumbnail on the Channels palette
lets you view or hide a channel. When
the eye is open, the channel displays
in the document window. When the
eye is closed, the channel is hidden.
Corel Painter offers two ways to view a
channel—as a colored overlay on the
image or in grayscale. Colored
overlays are red by default, but you
can change the color. For more
information, refer to “To set channel
attributes:” on page 223.
Selecting and viewing a channel are
distinct operations—you can view a
channel without selecting it, and you
can select a channel without viewing
it.
You can view the RGB image and
more than one channel, but your
editing applies only to the one item
selected on the Channels palette—the
RGB image or a channel.
To select a channel:
• On the Channels palette, choose a
channel from the list.
Tip
•
When you want to work on the image
again, choose RGB from the list.
To view a channel as a colored
overlay:
• On the Channels palette, click the
eye icon next to the channel’s
thumbnail to open the eye.