Copying PNG with transparency from browser shows a black background instead

When I copy a PNG image with transparency to the clipboard and subsequently paste it into Photoshop, Paint, etc. - the transparency turns to black.

Is there any workaround for this? Is this a browser issue, an application issue or an OS issue with the clipboard?

I'm using Windows 7 and tested with the latest versions of Chrome and Internet Explorer.

Solution 1:

Copy-Paste doesn't maintain transparency. Try saving file and then use Open File in Photoshop. AFAIK, Paint doesn't have the ability to save transparency enabled png files.

Solution 2:

Posting the comment by @DanLugg as an answer, as it is the most convenient for Windows, IMHO:

1. Right-click on the image and Copy Image URL from the browser.
2. In Photoshop choose File->Open (ctrl-o) and paste the URL into the filename portion of the dialog.
   • Photoshop/Windows will download the URL to a temporary file and open it.

For OS X, there is no field in an Open File Dialog/Sheet where one could paste a URI. Instead, you must download the file and open it (e.g. drag from browser to Desktop, then drag the new file onto the Dock or into your Photoshop document) and then delete the temporary file.

FWIW, this appears to be a Photoshop problem, not a browser or OS problem. On both OS X and Windows, I can copy a PNG image with transparency from Chrome (and also Safari on OS X) and paste it into Illustrator or other applications and have it maintain transparency. Photoshop alone is to blame.

Solution 3:

Try this: copy the transparent image, paste into MS Word. THEN copy it (or drag/drop) from word and paste it to the other target program.

I found a paste into Visio from Chrome turns black, but works properly in Word, and then copied from Word it pastes properly and transparently into Visio.