To invert transparency in Photoshop, you can effectively turn transparent areas opaque and vice-versa by using a selection and a fill layer. Here's how:
Steps to Invert Transparency:
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Load Transparency as a Selection: In the Channels panel (Window > Channels), Ctrl+Click (Cmd+Click on Mac) on the RGB channel thumbnail. This loads the white (opaque) areas as a selection. Effectively, the non-transparent areas are now selected.
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Invert the Selection: Press Ctrl+Shift+I (Cmd+Shift+I on Mac) to invert the selection. Now, the transparent areas of your layer are selected.
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Create a Solid Color Fill Layer: With the inverted selection still active, go to Layer > New Fill Layer > Solid Color.
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Choose White as the Color: In the Color Picker, choose white as the color. This will fill the previously transparent areas with white.
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Hide the Original Layer (Optional): If you want to see only the inverted transparency, turn off the visibility of the original layer that contained the transparency.
Essentially, you're selecting the transparent areas and filling them with a color (typically white) to make them opaque, effectively inverting the transparency. This technique allows you to visualize or manipulate transparency in ways that standard layer adjustments might not allow.