Thank you all for replying to my post and trying to help. I can plainly see from your posts that I am in way above my level of knowledge when it comes to graphics. I am currently working on a project through an online publishing program. I can only upload the jpg or bitmap to this site. The vector graphics I purchased were sent in a zip file, which I did unzip. I then thought I had figured out PSE to make them transparent and saved them as a jpg. The 'doctored' files will not upload into the publishing program. I know I have done something wrong, so purchased Corel thinking it would be simpler to use as I don't have any experience trying to change a graphic. Not so, I discovered.
Ronny, I tried to open a jpg file in Corel, didn't work and import was grayed out. I guess I would have to start a 'new' page and import it to enable me to work on it. So, although I don't have a clue what you are talking about when you speak of objects grouped together, I will try to first get the graphic on the screen and then look to see what it is telling me on the bottom of the toolbar. Again, my lack of knowledge showing.
Silvershoes, I am pretty sure they are vector files I purchased as that is what they were called. I did contact the company I purchased it from. They told me the files are ready to use as they are. I did try to upload them to the publishing program but get a message telling me what kind of files I could use. Vector files were not one of them.
HarryLondon, I have already uploaded and used jpg clipart in this project and they work fine. They don't create the white or black square behind them. So, I'm not sure which files will work and which will not, I hesitate to purchase any more, in the hopes that they might work.
I also do not have the icon that looks like a wineglass, which is the transparency tool, in my toolbar. That is why I was wondering if Corel Student and Home was even capable of doing what I needed it to.
Anyway, thank you again to all that tried to help. I think I will continue with my project without the graphics I wanted to use. When I am finished, and have the time, I will try to educate myself in the use of the different graphics programs.
slc said: I have already uploaded and used jpg clipart in this project and they work fine. They don't create the white or black square behind them.
Then they are not "standard" jpgs. The program that created them (do I guess that it is probably an adobe program?) has put something in the jpg that is not part of the standard jpg specification.
But there are plenty of other formats which do support transparency, including png, and those are the formats that you (and adobe!) could and should be using for that purpose.
slc said:I also do not have the icon that looks like a wineglass
This is the official H&S comparison chart (click on it for the download):
I cannot see a specific limitation, but it is not directly on the toolbox. The place you need to look is on a flyout near the bottom :
Having found that, you don't actually need the transparency tool to create an image from vector objects. If you don't put a solid background behind your vector objects, you will already have a transparent background -- and it can remain transparent if you export to a format such as png that supports transparency.