transparent PNG file turning out white or black in ArcMap

[JoshuaChan]

I received a PNG file for a logo that I want to put on my map. The logo has a transparent background. Great. That's what I want.
But when added to ArcMap 10.1 the background turns white. I tried converting the PNG to an EMF after reading a bunch of forum posts. I used Irfanview to convert it. But now when I add the newly converted EMF file it has a black background.

Anyone know how to fix this???

[JimCousins]

Under the symbology select "Display Background Value" box and enter the RGB value for the color you want transparent. Leave the background color fill as none.
Regards,
Jim

[JeannatteRosser]

When you import an image directly to the map, there is no symbology options for it. That’s only for items in the legend or symbology tab for legends. That we know. It’s independent graphic images directly onto the map that this happens to. 

[JoshuaChan]

Sorry I don't understand.

I'm importing a PNG or a JPG or an EMF file for a company logo.
When you right click on any one of those file types in ArcMap there is no "symbology select" that I can find. Can you provide more details?

Under the symbology select "Display Background Value" box and enter the RGB value for the color you want transparent. Leave the background color fill as none.
Regards,
Jim

[JohnSobetzer]

Windows, and hence ArcMap has limits to producing clear raster backgrounds.  You might see if you can vectorize the logo.  Adobe Illustrator probably can do it but if you don't have it there is the free Inkscape.  I was able to do it with one logo but there is a learning curve with it.  I think I even once used Arcscan to turn a logo into a shapefile and used that as a quick and dirty workaround.

[JimCousins]

Apologies, you are adding a picture element to a layout.
How about adding a new dataframe, add the picture to the dataframe as a raster layer, then set the background to transparent. You can also set the dataframe frame to no color, so visually the logo is free floating, as you can move the dataframe and hence the logo where ever you want to on the layout.
Jim

[JoshuaChan]

thanks John & Jim for the suggestions.  I'll give them a try

Apologies, you are adding a picture element to a layout.
How about adding a new dataframe, add the picture to the dataframe as a raster layer, then set the background to transparent. You can also set the dataframe frame to no color, so visually the logo is free floating, as you can move the dataframe and hence the logo where ever you want to on the layout.
Jim

[GregoryElwood1]

Jim, do you know a trick for getting a .png file that has multiple transparencies in to an ArcMap document? (i.e. solid black text over a 50% transparent color oval on a 100% transparent background?)

Thanks!

Gregory

[JimCousins]

That is more difficult. You can not set different transparencies on a single object. Construct it in ArcMap - make the oval and set it to 50% transp, and then put your text overtop of that.
Regards,
Jim

[JacobTully]

A workaround I discovered was to open the .png in Inkscape (free and open source), then copy the object from inkscape and paste directly into the layout mode in arcmap. Once it's in an .mxd you can copy straight from .mxd to .mxd and preserve the transparencies. The resolution looks degraded in layout mode for some reason but once exported to .pdf looks just fine.