Alpha Channel Question **looks around in embarrasement..lol

Trying to create a simple tattoo (first ever to any clothing creation).

I've reviewed the tutorials by Nicola Escher, and the Sticky posted in this Texturing Forum section. All are great and got me this far..I uploaded my first tatoo and got it to work using an "undershirt".

However, I dont' like the dark black that is used. Id like to change the tattoo color and I'm just not understanding this part...

Any takers in helping a pooor fool...How do I make my simple tattoo to a simple color (i.e all red or all blue, etc..) don't want it to be multicolor or anythign difficult like that?

I assume you are working with Photoshop or Paintshop (only because most seem to use one of those two programs). I'm sure both those programs have tools for replacing a color with another.

I can tell you a very simple way to do that with GIMP. The basic method should be translatable to Photoshop or Paintshop. Open your texture file and use the tool to select by color to select the black area of your tattoo. While it's selected use your bucket fill tool and select the color from your color pallet. Make sure the method is "replace" and that "fill selected" is checked (or enabled). Then just fill the selected area. It won't affect the transparent area.

Just a little thing to add. If you think you might want your tattoos to be changable once you've made the item in SL, make them white. Then you can use the SL color pallet in world to change the colors without having to go offline and alter your texture and upload the new colored texture.

I'm using Photoshop 7.0. Eww, I like that option. Not sure I totally understand though? If I understand the Alpha Cannel correct the actual tattoo comes out black by default. Ugh...my feable mind..LOL /me pulling the tutorial to re-read again...

The alpha channel is the fourth "color" channel......it's transparent or partially transparent. The black on your texture is black............no part of the alpha channel.

I think you're confusing your alpha mask that you used to define the areas that are transparent. That mask should have been deleted, or at least not saved when you saved the tattoo texture.

I dont get it? /me kicks rock...

Im using Chips HR templates and the instructions that were sticky'd. The instructions use an example of a bikini top which in my case would be the same as my tattoo.

Surely some ppl want a different color bikini top other then black. Where is it where it walks you through applying color to the bikini top? If I could find that I'm sure it would solve my delema

Um ..... Without seeing your Photoshop layers, I can't tell exactly what's there, but I assume there must be some layer that has your fabric on it. If not, maybe you're using the black mask for a fabric layer? Anyway, all you have to do is select all pixels in the layer, then Edit >> Fill and select whatever color you have set as your foregreound or background color. It's won't be very interesting -- just a flat monochrome color fill -- but that's what you asked.