In the past month I’ve had 6 people ask me this question, so I decided to post a short tutorial for flash developers in the future. There are many reasons you may want to use a transparent background for your FLV file…Maybe you’re using a gradient background in your html file that you really like, or maybe you’re stacking divs using Z-Index, and have a flash file somewhere in there that needs to have a transparent background. Whatever the case, if you are a flash developer there will most likely be a time when you need to implement this.

Two Techniques Transparent Backgrounds In Flash

There are 2 ways to create transparent backgrounds for flv files, but I recommend the second one. It is more efficient because it can be edited easily without needing access to the FLA file.

Technique 1 – Using the .FLA File

1. Choose File

2. Choose Publish Settings

3. In the dialog box choose the HTML tab

4. Change the window mode to: Transparent Windowless tab

5. Click Publish and then OK

6. Export and your done!

Technique 2 – Using The wmode Parameter

1. In Dreamweaver choose Design View

2. Select your flash movie

3. In the properties panel choose Parameters

4. Parameter = wmode & Value = transparent

5. Save and Preview!