transparent layers, I need help with the above =) Options

[MeganElisabeth]

Hey, I'm new 'round here, and was considering trying to do a couple skins, but I have some questions. Let me preface this by saying I do't have Adobe Photoshop. How do you guys get the transparent layer over the background pic--the one that you position the text over. Also, how and where do you put buttons in the HTML/ skin. I know this sounds really confusing--but that's cause I'm not clear on what I'm asking either. So thanx, ahead of time, ,
Meg

[MeganElisabeth]

hey thanks anyhow. I do have a version of PSP, the prob is I don't really know how to use it. I opened it up once, and it looked like Windows Imaging to me, so I just have the CD around here somewhere. I also have a editing program that I really like called Arcsoft Photo Impression. It came with our dig camera--I don't know if anyone is familiar with that or not. I like it for normal editing and adding text to pix. And of course, I have Windows paint and imaging. I've been able to do a little with transparent layers in paint, but when I tried to paste in a solid color for some reason the transparent option wouldn't work. My bro an I have been thinking about getting Photoshop--but can you get it anywhere for less than 500 bucks??

Buttons--like in the Ocean relax skin on page one--buttons that you use for links. Also for editing HTML, do you use Microsoft Frontpage? What little I've done I was flipping back and forth from my "look and feel" page of Xanga and my private site. But I was just fiddling with alignment.