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# Transparency Editing Modes Some images contain transparent or semi-transparent data which allows images below it to show through; it is visible in NPS (and most other image editors) as a gray hatched background. NPS includes 3 different modes for working with transparent parts of an image. To change the transparency editing mode, click Format > Transparency Editing Mode or click the "Opaque", "Keyed", and "Alpha" buttons on the right sidebar. The functionality of different modes, and their impact on various tools, is outlined below. ## Opaque This mode does not create new transparency in the image. Existing transparency is preserved when moving a selection, and the area from which the selection originated is filled with white. Likewise, the Eraser tool fills the image with white. Microsoft Paint user tip: This is similar to enabling the "Draw Opaque" option. ## Keyed In keyed mode, the currently selected background color is used as a transparency key for selections. For instance, if you set the background color to white and select a part of your image containing black text on a white background, the white background will "disappear" when you move the selection. The Eraser tool will fill the image with the background color. Microsoft Paint user tip: This is similar to disabling the "Draw Opaque" option. ## Alpha In Alpha mode, the image's alpha channel is used as the source of transparency. (If the image is in indexed format, the transparent color, if any, is used instead.) Moving a selection will open a transparent region behind it, and the Eraser tool will create transparency. ## See also: Transparency Modes (Layer)