Converting continuous tone images

A system for converting an image file, comprising:

• a processor configured to process data for the system;
• an opacity data generation component configured to extract an alpha channel from the image file;
• an opacity mask creation component configured to create an opacity mask for a first image from the alpha channel extracted from the image file;
• and
• an image creation component configured to generate the first image by combining a second image from the image file with the opacity mask, at least one of:
• a first file created from the extracted alpha channel;
• a second file comprising compressed data indicative of an eight-bit opacity channel of the image file;
• the second image comprised in a third file comprising compressed data indicative of one or more color channels of the image file;
• or
• the opacity mask creation component comprising an opacity data unpacking component configured to unpack data from a fourth file indicative of the alpha channel extracted from the image file.

A non-modulated data signal computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed, perform a method for converting an image file, comprising:

• extracting an alpha channel from the image file comprising extracting an opacity channel;
• creating a first image file from the extracted alpha channel;
• creating a second image file from a remaining portion of the image file after the alpha channel is extracted, the second image file created from image data comprising one or more image color channels;
• creating an opacity mask from the first image file;
• and
• combining an image from the second image file with the opacity mask, comprising layering the image from the second image file over the opacity mask to generate a second image.