I've been trying for a couple of days now to figure out a way to put transparent letters onto a gradiented (is that a word?) background.
For example I want to put a red letter onto the page over an area that is green, the next letter would be over a lighter shade of green and the next letter would be over white.

What I'm looking to end up with is letters that look like lightly colored glass on the background, like a barely visible watermark.

If anyone has a suggestion I have 2 very open ears

I think Cooltext is your man for this:

http://cooltext.com/

Nice site, and loads of very cool graphics but they don't seem to offer anything that will do what I want.

VSD is supposed to do what I want and I think I've come close a couple of times I just haven't figured out the sequence yet.

I've looked though the help files and found mention of transparent letters but there were no instructions with the mention.

Um, with hideous colors used, lol this can maybe give you an idea of what you may have to do.
http://kellyinfo.com/MyFiles/tutorials/GradientText/GradientText.html
but using the "advanced text" now makes your text into an image, so if it doesn't show up onsite then make sure it's in the files folder.
hope it helps

I've tried what you suggested and it didn't work. I thought maybe I was doing something wrong but your examples give the same results I've been getting.

I want a truly transparent letter that will allow you to read any text under it, if any. If I could show you an example it would be much easier to explain, but then, if I could show you an example I wouldn't be having the problem I'm having. I'm beginning to think what I want can't be done.

I want to put the name of my store onto the background image and have it be only a ghost. Just visible enough to see it, but not so much as to distract from the page itself, yet still preserve the color scheme. I want the red letters red but still to show the green or white underneath.

Using a much lighter shade or a different color that is a mix of the two, red letter and green or white background, doesn't work, I end up with a sickly gray color that is terrible, and with the gradient it would have to be adjusted pixel by pixel.

I guess for now I'm going to have to settle for just the background and give up on the rest, then if I ever run across something that will allow me to do this I can update it at that time. Either that or go out and buy some lightly tinted Plexiglas, cut out the letters, place then on a printout of my background, snap a picture and load that in as a new image, but that just isn't going to happen, way too much work.

I'm beginning to think that you're wrong. It's a smart person who knows when to quit! It's just that I have a bit of pitt bull in my family tree and I have a hard time removing my teeth from a project I've started

I have no idea how you would do this with VSD, but here's a test page I did using css. IE 6 and 7 make the text look really bad.

http://www.solsector.com/cary/gradient/

or something like this watermark?
http://kellyinfo.com/web/wm.png

Now that is something I can live with. If I can split the difference between what you and Bruce just offered I'll be a happy camper.

The letters are what I want, but still no color. Given the trouble I've been having though I find this an acceptable alternative. I'm going to try and split the difference between what you have here and what Cary suggested.

P.S. 1:40 A.M.?
Man, and I thought I was addicted to my keyboard.

^\:/^
0 -
^
\_/

Never can tell where someone lives. Maybe as I post this, Bruce is just having lunch??

Then again, he may spend lots of time at the keyboard.

It is interesting how ASCII art is affected by smilies.