SpyderBar :: Translucent

     As skinners we know transparent by ôpinkö.  Our old friend RGB 255,255,0.   Pink represents what the user will not see. The pink pixels are turned off allowing the background to pass through. It is strictly that, on or off, a 1 bit alpha channel. Translucent pixels on the other hand allow the ability to adjust how much or how little the background blends through. In other words, a translucent pixel allows you to see partially through it. Most skinning in the past dealt mainly with transparent pixels (e.g. Microsoft Visual Styles and Windows Media Player skins).  SpyderBar skins use the more advanced translucent pixels. The gaming industry has used translucent pixels for over a decade, which is why games are so realistic.  Transparency is fine and well, but if you want to bring your creation to the next level translucency is your answer.

Here is an example of transparency used in a Windows Media Player skin:

Here is that image zoomed in:

The edges of the skin are hard and jagged.  This is known as stair-stepping.  It would be more attractive if the edges blended in with the background.