# Blender 3D: Noob to Pro/Further Rendering Options

|previous=Using the sequencer to compile frames into an animation
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In previous units on renderer settings, you learned about

-   Basic settings, and
-   Animation rendering.

Here we will describe some more renderer settings that can be useful in
certain circumstances.

## Stamping

![](Blender268RenderContextStampOptions.png "Blender268RenderContextStampOptions.png")
The "Stamp" panel in the Render
![](Blender255RenderContextButton.png "Blender255RenderContextButton.png")
context provides options for placing descriptive text on top of each
rendered frame. The topmost checkbox enables/disables stamping (off by
default), while the other checkboxes control the precise information to
include, and you can even specify the text and background colour and
font size. The information is inserted at the corners of the image, so
it can be included in production renders that get appropriately cropped
as part of the post-production process. **Note:** In blender 2.76,
you\'ll find it under Metadata. You\'ll have to check Stamp Output.

## Toon Renders

![](Blender268RenderContextPostProcOptions.png "Blender268RenderContextPostProcOptions.png")
Blender has long had an option for doing simplified "toon"
(cartoon-style outlined) renders. In the Render
![](Blender255RenderContextButton.png "Blender255RenderContextButton.png")
context, look for the "Post Processing" panel and check the "Edge" box.
You will also have to set up the lighting and materials for your objects
to give a more flat-shaded look.

A more powerful set of options for doing this sort of thing is available
with
Freestyle,
which you will learn about
later.

## Clay Renders

There is sometimes a need to render a scene without detailed materials
and textures, just to see what the object shapes look like. In the
Render Layers
![](Blender267RenderLayersContextButton.png "Blender267RenderLayersContextButton.png")
context, there is an option to override all lighting and materials for
objects in the layer with a particular light group and a particular
material. It is common to use a plain diffuse, colourless grey material
for this purpose, making all the objects look like they are made out of
clay, hence the name.

## Transparent Backgrounds

Blender by default provides a "sky" or background for your rendered
scene; settings for this can be controlled in the World
![](Blender255WorldContextButton.png "Blender255WorldContextButton.png")
context.

Sometimes you don't want such a background at all; you simply want the
objects in your scene set against a *transparent* background. So, for
example, if you insert the image in a Web page, the scene is displayed
against the page background, rather than its own image background.

The way to do this is quite simple:

-   Choose to render the Sky as Transparent. In the Render
    ![](Blender255RenderContextButton.png "Blender255RenderContextButton.png")
    context, look for the Shading panel, where there is a popup menu
    labelled "Alpha:", with items "Sky" and "Transparent". Change this
    from its default "Sky" to "Transparent". You have to do this before
    rendering the image.
-   When saving the rendered image, choose a file format (in the Output
    panel in the Render
    ![](Blender255RenderContextButton.png "Blender255RenderContextButton.png")
    context) that includes an *alpha
    channel*; for example, PNG allows for
    this, but JPEG does not. With such a format chosen, you further have
    to remember to select the "RGBA" button, not "RGB", otherwise the
    transparent areas will simply be filled with black.

