Google Images Don't Show Transparency Anymore?

Guest · Mar 29, 2014

Hey Forum!
I've noticed something wrong with my Google Images search recently.. Normally when I search for an image that has a transparent background, I'd see the tiny white and grey boxes behind it, indicating that it is in fact transparent. Now for some reason I don't see them, all I see is just white, even though the image is in fact transparent. I've tried all the browsers you could name, and nothing has worked. It's something that really annoys me as a Photoshop'er, I use a lot of images with transparent backgrounds. Could it be my GPU Drivers? I wouldn't think, but I could always do the Uninstall/Reinstall anyways, just please help me out!

What I've Tried:
Resetting All Broswer Settings/Clearing The Cache/Cookies.
Uninstalling/Reinstalling The Browsers.
Cleaning Registries (Making Backups Of Course).
Running Disk Defragments, Disk Cleanups, General Defragging.

Someone Somewhere · Mar 29, 2014

I would expect it's more a case of google changing their code.

Guest · Mar 29, 2014

Someone Somewhere :

Could you try to test this out on your own browser and tell me if you see the transparent boxes?

Someone Somewhere · Mar 29, 2014

Actually, it looks like it will only show the transparent background if you go to Search Tools>Color>Transparent.

Guest · Mar 29, 2014

Someone Somewhere :

It's still showing with the white background..

Someone Somewhere · Mar 29, 2014

Opera 12.16, Kubuntu 13.10.

Will try it on a Windows box.

EDIT: Shows up on Chromium under Kubuntu, and also Opera 12.16 and IE11 on Windows 7.

It does need to finish loading the image before it applies the background, though. Hit and miss in IE.

Guest · Mar 29, 2014

Okay, thanks for going to these extents for something that "Might" seem like a small deal to others.

Someone Somewhere · Mar 30, 2014

Note that it's only showing the crosshatch background when you click on it, bringing it near full screen. When there's piles of them on the screen, it's still got a white background.

Guest · Mar 30, 2014

Someone Somewhere :

Could you show me some examples possibly?

Someone Somewhere · Mar 30, 2014

Click here.

It should look like this.

Guest · Mar 30, 2014

Someone Somewhere :

Second link doesn't work.

Someone Somewhere · Mar 30, 2014

Does for me...

Try it again. What's the error?

Guest · Mar 30, 2014

Someone Somewhere :

It just simply doesn't load.. It stays loading, and loading, and loading, then it says it failed to connect,

Someone Somewhere · Mar 30, 2014

Sorry, looks like I was having a bit of an issue with uploading the wrong file. Should work fine now.

jFiveNYC · Mar 30, 2014

Of the links I could view, one is the basic HTML version of Google Image Search, and the other is the rich HTML version using some Java scripts. The basic version will be displayed if you have slow connection or if you are logged in and the default view type has not been set to the rich version. The basic style will also be displayed if you have chosen to block scripts in your browser settings or a plug-in such as NoScript.

Differences are the basic will only display a finite number of images for each search page. The rich version will have an infinite scroll. Also, the basic version will render the cached thumbnail images from Google's servers which are served to the basic version of Image Search as JPG files.

You can see for yourself if you right click an image in the basic version to view the image info or save the file. There you will see the file type as JPG and not a PNG, SVG, etc.

So you have some options. You can browse while logged in to your Google account after updating your Image Search settings. Be sure you have allowed scripts to run in your browser. Or if you are using a slower connection, chose to view the rich version of image search.

When you are served the basic (old) version after an image search, a yellow dialog box should appear right below the search box. It will inform you that you may be using a slower connection and will ask if you would like to continue with the basic version or reload using the newer-rich version. If this dialog does not appear, clear the cookies and cache of your browser.

Someone Somewhere · Mar 30, 2014

Ah. That might be it - I'm on a reasonable DSL line, and I've got infinite scroll.

jFiveNYC · Mar 30, 2014

Someone Somewhere :

You have infinite scroll AND you are not seeing the transparency checkerboard for files with transparencies?

Someone Somewhere · Mar 30, 2014

I have infinite scroll, but I am seeing the checkerboard. The second link is a screenshot of me seeing it.

jFiveNYC · Mar 30, 2014

If the page is timing out, you are having connection problems. Can you load other websites? Can you load regular Google Search? From what you have said, all leads to either a connection or a speed/bandwidth problem.

Someone Somewhere :

Then you are being served the super-mega-fancy rich Image Search results.

Someone Somewhere · Mar 30, 2014

The site that image is hosted on is mine, from a free web-hosting site. It seems to be working fine for me, across two different connections.

Yup.

jFiveNYC · Mar 30, 2014

I have taken the liberty of shrinking and re-uploading Someone Somewhere's image to Imgur.

Try loading the image from here: http://imgur.com/x8D6NoP

Guest · Mar 30, 2014

jFiveNYC :

It still doesn't show the transparency, this is frustrating me.

Guest · Mar 30, 2014

I found out it was just my monitors contrast was too high, and they were blending together. .-. Thanks for all who helped!

Someone Somewhere · Mar 30, 2014

Ah well, looks like it's another case of the OP getting the BA.

jFiveNYC · Mar 30, 2014

Someone Somewhere :

Ahhhh. The OP's solution is hilarious!!

My AOL connection isn't working...(90 minutes of troubleshooting later)..... You mean I need telephone service for AOL?!?! :pt1cable:

Google Images Don't Show Transparency Anymore?

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