Alpha to Gray

Alpha to Gray is a Paint.net extension that you can use to convert each pixel from transparent layers into black, white or gray, in accordance with its alpha value.

It gives you the possibility to adjust the intensity. The tool can be seamlessly handled, even by Paint.net beginners.

In order to get this plugin up and running, all you have to do is copy the downloaded DLL file to the "Effects" folder of the image editor's installed directory. It also works if you have a portable edition of Paint.net at hand.

Make sure to restart the application if it was already launched, in order to finalize setup and get access to the new extension. It can be found in the "Effects" menu, called "Alpha to Grayscale".

The level of tolerance can be established by moving a slider or by entering the percentage value. Worth mentioning is that the image effects can be previewed while making them, so there's no need to apply modifications, check results, and undo your action or remove the last created layer if you're not pleased with the new settings. There are no other notable options provided by this piece of software.

Although it hasn't received updates for a long time, Alpha to Gray worked smoothly with the most recent version of Paint.net, without causing it to hang, crash or indicate errors. We haven't come across any kind of stability issues in this regard.

On the other hand, Alpha to Gray doesn't leave much room for configuration, especially when it comes to advanced users looking for versatility. Nevertheless, you easily use it if you're interested in converting alpha channels to greyscale and setting the level of intensity.