[Typo3] how can i generate transparent PNG-files with partial transparency?

[Hendrik Stey]

hello

for my current typo3-project i need to generate Headers and Buttons as 
PNG-File with transparent background - this is necessary in order to 
place those generated images above further images which then -hopefully- 
shine through. read on, please :-)

I know the GIFBUILDER, but in my past projects, i only generated 
GIF-Files with it, which only "know" the difference of visible or 
transparent pixels. (In other words: A GIF cannot contain different 
values of opacity - like PNG-Files can)

So generating PNG-Files with the GIFBUILDER is not the problem. The 
problem is, to render a .ttf-font on a fully transparent background-PNG. 
One can do that manually in Photoshop - but is it possible in TYPO3?


i now about these two options in the GIFBUILDER:

backColor = #FF0000
transparentColor = #FF0000

... but this is -once again- not the answer, as with these options, one 
can generate images which look good on a background with one colour. but 
around the letters there are artefacts of the chosen backcolor, which 
are very well visible, when the images are not placed on a monochrome 
background but on photos.

I would appreciate any comments/thoughts. Thx a lot in advance, kind regards


Hendrik.