opencv/samples/cpp/tutorial_code/snippets/imgcodecs_imwrite.cpp

#include <opencv2/opencv.hpp>

using namespace cv;
using namespace std;

static void createAlphaMat(Mat &mat)
{
    CV_Assert(mat.channels() == 4);
    for (int i = 0; i < mat.rows; ++i)
    {
        for (int j = 0; j < mat.cols; ++j)
        {
            Vec4b& bgra = mat.at<Vec4b>(i, j);
            bgra[0] = UCHAR_MAX; // Blue
            bgra[1] = saturate_cast<uchar>((float (mat.cols - j)) / ((float)mat.cols) * UCHAR_MAX); // Green
            bgra[2] = saturate_cast<uchar>((float (mat.rows - i)) / ((float)mat.rows) * UCHAR_MAX); // Red
            bgra[3] = saturate_cast<uchar>(0.5 * (bgra[1] + bgra[2])); // Alpha
        }
    }
}

int main()
{
    // Create mat with alpha channel
    Mat mat(480, 640, CV_8UC4);
    createAlphaMat(mat);
    vector<int> compression_params;
    compression_params.push_back(IMWRITE_PNG_COMPRESSION);
    compression_params.push_back(9);

    bool result = false;
    try
    {
        result = imwrite("alpha.png", mat, compression_params);
    }
    catch (const cv::Exception& ex)
    {
        fprintf(stderr, "Exception converting image to PNG format: %s\n", ex.what());
    }
    if (result)
        printf("Saved PNG file with alpha data.\n");
    else
        printf("ERROR: Can't save PNG file.\n");
    return result ? 0 : 1;
}