[pdftex] Bitmaps with transparent background?

[siep at elvenkind.com]

On 22 Feb, Sebastian Tannert wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> reading of the manuals and the FAQ of pdfTeX did not gave a answer
> to the question:
> 
> Is it possible to include a bitmap graphic with transparent background?
> And when it is possible, how it is done, I tried with PNG but
> this result in black background.
> May be PDF does not allow transparent background in bitmaps?
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Sebastian
> 
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Postscript-based illustration programs (also Sketch which is open source
and available under Linux) are often capable of applying a clipping path
to objects. However, you would probably have to create yourself such a
clipping path coinciding with the outline of the bitmap. But this is not
a pretty solution.

-- 
Siep Kroonenberg
siep at elvenkind.com