does any one know any good online tutorials for doing some of this stuff with graphics.

- to make textures or pictures in 34/32 bit targa files.

- How to add alpha transparcy

- and be able to adda 1 pixel transparent border on every edge

I have worked out how to do everything now except

- and be able to adda 1 pixel transparent border on every edge.

does anyone know of any tutorials on this.

I am using paint shop pro 7, but I may have access to other things.

Well, I know how to do it in Photoshop....but haven't used Paintshop Pro, so I'm not sure if the directions are the same. I'll provide my instructions just in case they're useful and will poke through my bookmarks and see if I have any PSP tutorials listed.

Does the image need to be transparent against a background color? (I.e. do you need to have the pixels next to the 1-pix area be semi transparent to that background color to avoid fringing?) That's the usual case, as opposed to being transparent against white.

What I usually do is create a new background layer filled with the color I want transparent. Then I expand my canvas by 1 pix in each direction (for the transparent area). Then I use "save for web" and select "transparency", and then select the color I want for the transparent color as the "matte" color.

Issues appear if you have that same color in your image and don't want them transparent...usually then I use a similar but not exactly the same color for my background, so the colors within the image don't turn out transparent.

If you don't have pixels that need to be semi-transparent with the background (i.e. no drop shadows, just hard edges) then you can pick any old color that's not in your image to be background color and be transparent. That's usually what is done for buttons or ads that will be used on multiple sites. But you have to make sure the colors in your edges are at 100% color or they'll be semi transparent to the background used in the graphics program, and that may cause weird "fringing" on certain backgrounds.

Hope that was helpful...I haven't had my coffee yet so it's a little rambling I'm afraid!

thanks for the info I have worked out how to do what I wanted to do, took me many hours of trial and error but I finally got much of what I need to work, with a little more time I may get better at this graphics stuff.

I needed it for a game level I am making and decal objects need to have at least one pixel of alpha transparcy stuff on each edge or they flood the rest of the texture during game rendering.

With a bit more practice I should work out how to make them even better I may start using Photoshop though as I think that is easier for making the textures maybe, easier than paint shop pro anyway which don't seem to allow me to pick a certain colour for alpha transparcy.

If you're doing game stuff, then be sure to check out Levels newsletter. http://www.levelsnewsletter.com/current_issue/index.htm (it's normally a framed site but their frames are working oddly today.) Great tips and tutorials specifically for game developers.

There's also some stuff on some of the Flash sites I frequent (since lots of Flash games are being done right now). Also, the 3D sites have tons of tutorials for specific 3D products, but also often have "and here's how to create the texture you need in PS or PSP" as well. If you want links to any Flash sites or 3D sites with graphics tutorials, just drop me an email.

Try the Adobe learning center:
http://studio.adobe.com/expertcenter/photoshop/main.html

There are a lot of really great tutorials and step by step instructions there. You may be able to apply some of what you learn to Paintshop.