Any clip can have an area of transparency, called an "alpha channel." Final Cut Pro can interpret alpha channels in three ways: straight, black, and white.

If a clip has an alpha channel, that channel was created against a black or white background or no background. Final Cut Pro interprets a clip's alpha channel, according to the way the clip was created.

If necessary, you can override the program's interpretation by modifying the alpha channel setting. You can also reverse an alpha channel if you want to invert the transparency of an image.

You may also want to change the alpha channel if you see a black or white halo around objects in a clip (which indicates the wrong alpha type).

1. Select the clip.
2. Open the Modify menu and choose Alpha Type, then choose the option you want from the submenu.