HOW TO: Convert a Transparent Image to a Non-transparent Format (e.g. PNG -> JPG)

A common need is to convert an image with transparency (such as a PNG) to a format that does not have transparency (such as JPEG).  With LEADTOOLS, if you do a simple load and save, you will lose the alpha channel and the image will not look exactly the same.  Therefore you must make a background image (usually just a solid color) and blend the alpha channel and base image together with the FeatherAlphaBlendCommand.  This C# 2005 examples uses the .NET 16.5 interface to convert a transparent PNG file to a JPEG so that it will have the same look and feel as if it were displayed in Windows Picture and Fax Viewer (white background).

This project has been updated for use with LEADTOOLS v17.5 and Visual Studio 2010.

Using an additional byte for each pixel to store an alpha mask (alpha channel) is a very common approach for representing transparency.
Many applications, both based on LEADTOOLS and non-LEAD imaging engines, support it in a uniform manner. Attached screenshot shows how MS Excel displays a 32-bit PNG file that has an alpha channel when that image is simply inserted into the sheet.

Attached is an updated project that can target LEADTOOLS versions 16.5, 17.5, 18, 19, and/or 20. You can use the configuration for whichever version of LEADTOOLS you have on your machine.

To run this project, please extract it to the following directory:
C:\LEADTOOLS <version>\Examples\posts\t8052