
AlphaSkins
Enables transparency rendering on skins again
About this Mod
A long while ago Mojang removed the ability for the client to render skin's alpha channel. This broke skins that used transparency in an artistic manner.
This mod aims to reintroduce that functionality. Using mixins it turns off the code that strips the alpha channel from the skin upon rendering.
This mod doesn't make it so other people see your transparent skins. This only affects your client's rendering.
Original mixin for Fabric was found here, I just used the info found in it to port this mixin to Forge as well as added a few more to make the transparency seamless as if it was made first party.
Essentially this mod adds 3 mixins. The first one is disabling the alpha and color stripping for the skin downloading class. This class normally will set the alpha to be 0 making nothing transparent. The second mixin is a variant of the same mixin just for a SkinProcessor class, which only seems to be used for Realms-related stuff.
The third mixin patches the FirstPersonRenderer class and makes the hand respect transparency. Normally it's rendered without any care to the alpha channel but using head injection I was able to override that.
Note: I do not make any money off this link. It's fully non-monetized.
Available Versions
How to Install AlphaSkins on Your Server
Order Server
Order a Minecraft Java server with at least 3 GB RAM (4 GB recommended).
Set fabric Loader
In the panel under "Egg", select the fabric loader and matching Minecraft version (26.1.2).
Install Mod
Open the mod browser in the dashboard and search for "AlphaSkins". Click "Install" – done! Alternatively, upload the .jar via SFTP to the /mods folder.
Compatibility
Mod Loaders
Minecraft Versions
26.1.2, 1.21.11, 1.21.8 (+20 more)
Server-side
✗ UnsupportedRecommended RAM
4 GB(min. 3 GB)Frequently Asked Questions
AlphaSkins server crashes on startup – what to do?
Most common cause: wrong fabric version or insufficient RAM. Check the server log (latest.log) for "OutOfMemoryError" or "Mixin" errors. With Mado Hosting: ensure at least 3 GB RAM is allocated and the loader matches the mod version (26.1.2). You can switch loaders with one click in the panel.
Is AlphaSkins compatible with fabric and forge and neoforge?
AlphaSkins officially supports fabric, forge, neoforge for Minecraft 26.1.2, 1.21.11, 1.21.8. Note: Forge and Fabric mods are NOT cross-compatible – pick one loader and stick with it. The Mado dashboard automatically detects incompatible loader combinations.
Server lagging with AlphaSkins – how to optimize performance?
Recommended RAM: 4 GB (per 8 players). Use /spark profiler to check if AlphaSkins consumes the most tick time. Common fixes: reduce server view-distance to 8-10, install "performant" or "starlight" as supplementary mods on Forge. With Mado Hosting, your server runs on NVMe SSDs with dedicated CPU cores for minimal latency.
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Rent Modded Server
Install AlphaSkins with just one click on your server.