Apple Pages - Manual (Page 118)

118 Chapter 6 Working With Graphics and Other Media
Working With Alpha-Channel Graphics
Alpha-channel graphics contain a transparent area where text or other images can
show through. You can also use alpha channels to create transparency around
irregularly shaped images, so the image does not have a rectangular white area
around it.
When you bring an alpha-channel image into Pages, there’s nothing else you have to
do to make the transparency work. Just place it, manipulate it, and move it to the
back or front as you would any other image.
Many PDF, TIFF, and PSD files contain alpha-channel graphics. You can create your own
alpha-channel images using applications such as Adobe Photoshop, Corel Draw,
Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Acrobat. See the instructions that come with the
application to learn how to create alpha-channel images.
Wrapping Text Around an Object
When you place any object—images, shapes, charts, and so on—fixed or in line with
the text, you can decide how you want the text to wrap around it. You can choose to
make the text hug tightly or loosely around the object, or make the text stay only on
the top and bottom or one side of the object. To set these options, use the Wrap
Inspector.
This image of a magnifying
glass has an alpha channel
that allows text to show
through the glass.
The irregular shape of the
image is surrounded by an
alpha channel that allows
text to show through its
containing rectangle.