How to add a solid background to an image thats transparent

[jford11609]

I have an image of a clock and the background of the clock is transparent. Im wanting to add a solid background to it without making the whole canvas that solid color (around the clock). Its a pretty intricate clock with lots of little spaces so it would take me forever to fill it with the bucket. I know there has to be an easier way to do this. Please help! I posted a link to something similar im working with. 
https://www.google.com/search?q=pocket+w...bTf1WBPuM:

[Ofnuts]

• Do a fuzzy-select on the background: click in one corner of the backrground then shift-click in the other corners (and inside the chain ring) to add them to selection.
  
• Select>Grow by two pixels, then Select>Invert
  
• Add a new layer, filled with transparency
  
• Bucket fill the selection on that layer with the required color. This shoul dgive you the silhouette of the watch
  
• Move that layer below the watch layer (drag it down in the Layer list, or Layer>Stack>Lower layer
  

   

Btw, not very hard to have a different color for the dial:

   

[rich2005]

Are you really using WinXP ?

Ofnuts method is the most efficient but another way using the selection tools. All good practice.



This is using Gimp 2.10 but Gimp 2.8 much the same. You might get Gimp 2.8 installed in XP

Three and a half minute video : https://youtu.be/CcFD0tGiC-A

[jford11609]

(06-14-2018, 03:20 PM)Ofnuts Wrote:

• Do a fuzzy-select on the background: click in one corner of the backrground then shift-click in the other corners (and inside the chain ring) to add them to selection.
  
• Select>Grow by two pixels, then Select>Invert
  
• Add a new layer, filled with transparency
  
• Bucket fill the selection on that layer with the required color. This shoul dgive you the silhouette of the watch
  
• Move that layer below the watch layer (drag it down in the Layer list, or Layer>Stack>Lower layer
  

Btw, not very hard to have a different color for the dial:

Thanks so much! This worked out perfect for me!