Can't save my work exactly as I need to!

[Limey39]

I last used Gimp some years ago when I was doing some screen printing and at that time I had no problem saving my work in its finished form.
However, as a new user again after about an 8 year layoff, I find myself struggling to do what should be a most basic operation, saving my work in its completed form.
I have a graphic illustration from which I need to remove a solid color background. Having done so, then I can then set the foreground object in another design. I have had no problem with removing the background, but when I try to export it to my desktop in jpg format, it saves the file with a white background which is still present when I drop this image into my other design.
If anyone can tell me what I am doing wrong (if in fact I am), or what I might do to remedy this situation, I would be very grateful.

[teapot]

(04-06-2023, 02:10 AM)Limey39 Wrote: I have a graphic illustration from which I need to remove a solid color background. Having done so, then I can then set the foreground object in another design. I have had no problem with removing the background, but when I try to export it to my desktop in jpg format, it saves the file with a white background which is still present when I drop this image into my other design.

You could export as a png which, unlike exporting as a jpg, will preserve the transparency.

Personally I prefer to keep all the workings so I'd save the .xcf file. If your other project is in gimp you can open that and then copy the relevant layer across. For example:

In the source .xcf, with the layer you want to copy active, file do:
Edit -> Copy

and then in the destination .xcf file do:
Edit -> Paste as -> New layer

[PixLab]

(04-06-2023, 02:10 AM)Limey39 Wrote: If anyone can tell me what I am doing wrong (if in fact I am), or what I might do to remedy this situation, I would be very grateful.

you are saving to the wrong format, JPG does not handle transparency, thus when you export to JPG, GIMP is putting your BG color as transparency replacement.

You want to export as PNG or WebP, those format handle transparency

[Ofnuts]

(04-06-2023, 03:02 AM)teapot Wrote:

(04-06-2023, 02:10 AM)Limey39 Wrote: I have a graphic illustration from which I need to remove a solid color background. Having done so, then I can then set the foreground object in another design. I have had no problem with removing the background, but when I try to export it to my desktop in jpg format, it saves the file with a white background which is still present when I drop this image into my other design.

You could export as a png which, unlike exporting as a jpg, will preserve the transparency.

Personally I prefer to keep all the workings so I'd save the .xcf file. If your other project is in gimp you can open that and then copy the relevant layer across. For example:

In the source .xcf, with the layer you want to copy active, file do:
Edit -> Copy

and then in the destination .xcf file do:
Edit -> Paste as -> New layer

You can also use drag and drop:

• make the source image the current image
  
• in the Layers list, click and drag the layer
  
• drop it on the canvas of the target image. If using single-window mode, drag to the tab of the target image, wait for the target image to appear, and then drop on the canvas.