diff --git a/src/FbTk/Transparent.cc b/src/FbTk/Transparent.cc
index 81aca991..a68b766d 100644
--- a/src/FbTk/Transparent.cc
+++ b/src/FbTk/Transparent.cc
@@ -52,7 +52,9 @@ Picture createAlphaPic(Window drawable, unsigned char alpha) {
                                                   PictFormatDepth | PictFormatAlphaMask,
                                                   &pic_format, 0);
     if (format == 0) {
-        cerr<<"FbTk::Transparent: "<<_FBTK_CONSOLETEXT(Error, NoRenderFormat, "Warning: Failed to find valid format for alpha.", "transparency requires a pict format, can't get one...")<<endl;
+        cerr<<"FbTk::Transparent: "<<_FBTK_CONSOLETEXT(Error, NoRenderFormat, 
+                                                       "Warning: Failed to find valid format for alpha.", 
+                                                       "transparency requires a pict format, can't get one...")<<endl;
         return 0;
     }
 
@@ -60,7 +62,9 @@ Picture createAlphaPic(Window drawable, unsigned char alpha) {
     Pixmap alpha_pm = XCreatePixmap(disp, drawable,
                                     1, 1, 8);
     if (alpha_pm == 0) {
-        cerr<<"FbTk::Transparent: "<<_FBTK_CONSOLETEXT(Error, NoRenderPixmap, "Warning: Failed to create alpha pixmap.", "XCreatePixmap failed for our transparency pixmap")<<endl;
+        cerr<<"FbTk::Transparent: "<<_FBTK_CONSOLETEXT(Error, NoRenderPixmap,
+                                                       "Warning: Failed to create alpha pixmap.", 
+                                                       "XCreatePixmap failed for our transparency pixmap")<<endl;
         return 0;
     }
 
@@ -71,7 +75,9 @@ Picture createAlphaPic(Window drawable, unsigned char alpha) {
                                              format, CPRepeat, &attr);
     if (alpha_pic == 0) {
         XFreePixmap(disp, alpha_pm);
-        cerr<<"FbTk::Transparent: "<<_FBTK_CONSOLETEXT(Error, NoRenderPicture, "Warning: Failed to create alpha picture.", "XRenderCreatePicture failed")<<endl;
+        cerr<<"FbTk::Transparent: "<<_FBTK_CONSOLETEXT(Error, NoRenderPicture, 
+                                                       "Warning: Failed to create alpha picture.", 
+                                                       "XRenderCreatePicture failed")<<endl;
         return 0;
     }
 
@@ -228,17 +234,22 @@ void Transparent::setDest(Drawable dest, int screen_num) {
     // create new dest pic if we have a valid dest drawable
     if (dest != 0) {
 
-        XRenderPictFormat *format =
+        XRenderPictFormat *format = 
             XRenderFindVisualFormat(disp,
                                     DefaultVisual(disp, screen_num));
         if (format == 0) {
             _FB_USES_NLS;
             cerr<<"FbTk::Transparent: ";
-            fprintf(stderr, _FBTK_CONSOLETEXT(Error, NoRenderVisualFormat, "Failed to find format for screen(%d)", "XRenderFindVisualFormat failed... include %d for screen number").c_str(), screen_num);
-            cerr<<endl;
-        }
-        m_dest_pic = XRenderCreatePicture(disp, dest, format, 0, 0);
+            fprintf(stderr, 
+                    _FBTK_CONSOLETEXT(Error, NoRenderVisualFormat, 
+                                      "Failed to find format for screen(%d)", 
+                                      "XRenderFindVisualFormat failed... include %d for screen number").
+                    c_str(), screen_num);
 
+            cerr<<endl;
+        } else {
+            m_dest_pic = XRenderCreatePicture(disp, dest, format, 0, 0);
+        }
 
     }
     m_dest = dest;
@@ -273,11 +284,15 @@ void Transparent::setSource(Drawable source, int screen_num) {
         if (format == 0) {
             _FB_USES_NLS;
             cerr<<"FbTk::Transparent: ";
-            fprintf(stderr, _FBTK_CONSOLETEXT(Error, NoRenderVisualFormat, "Failed to find format for screen(%d)", "XRenderFindVisualFormat failed... include %d for screen number").c_str(), screen_num);
+            fprintf(stderr, _FBTK_CONSOLETEXT(Error, NoRenderVisualFormat, 
+                                              "Failed to find format for screen(%d)", 
+                                              "XRenderFindVisualFormat failed... include %d for screen number").
+                    c_str(), screen_num);
             cerr<<endl;
+        } else {
+            m_src_pic = XRenderCreatePicture(disp, m_source, format,
+                                             0, 0);
         }
-        m_src_pic = XRenderCreatePicture(disp, m_source, format,
-                                         0, 0);
     }
 
     // recreate new alpha