diff --git a/collects/mred/private/wxme/editor.rkt b/collects/mred/private/wxme/editor.rkt
index 0c10ec6672..4cffb1617f 100644
--- a/collects/mred/private/wxme/editor.rkt
+++ b/collects/mred/private/wxme/editor.rkt
@@ -506,7 +506,7 @@
       snip))
 
   (def/public (insert-image [(make-or-false path-string?) [filename #f]]
-                            [symbol? [type 'unknown]]
+                            [image-type? [type 'unknown/alpha]]
                             [any? [relative? #f]]
                             [any? [inline-img? #t]])
     (let ([filename (or filename
@@ -518,7 +518,7 @@
           (insert snip)))))
 
   (def/public (on-new-image-snip [path-string? filename]
-                                 [symbol? type]
+                                 [image-type? type]
                                  [any? relative?]
                                  [any? inline-img?])
     (make-object image-snip% filename type relative? inline-img?))
diff --git a/collects/mred/private/wxme/snip.rkt b/collects/mred/private/wxme/snip.rkt
index 6c160654bf..4608211af7 100644
--- a/collects/mred/private/wxme/snip.rkt
+++ b/collects/mred/private/wxme/snip.rkt
@@ -54,7 +54,9 @@
 
          caret-status?
 
-         selected-text-color)
+         selected-text-color
+
+         image-type?)
 
 (define (symbol-list? l)
   (and (list? l) (andmap symbol? l)))
@@ -864,6 +866,12 @@
 
 (define black-color (make-object color% 0 0 0))
 
+(define image-type?
+  (symbol-in unknown unknown/mask unknown/alpha
+             gif gif/mask gif/alpha
+             jpeg png png/mask png/alpha
+             xbm xpm bmp pict))
+
 (defclass* image-snip% internal-snip% (equal<%>)
   (inherit-field s-admin
                  s-flags)
@@ -894,10 +902,7 @@
    [([bitmap% bm] [(make-or-false bitmap%) [mask #f]])
     (set-bitmap bm mask)]
    [([(make-or-false path-string?) [name #f]]
-     [(symbol-in unknown unknown/mask gif gif/mask
-                 jpeg png png/mask
-                 xbm xpm bmp pict)
-      [kind 'unknown]]
+     [image-type? [kind 'unknown]]
      [bool? [relative-path? #f]]
      [bool? [inline? #t]])
     (load-file name kind relative-path? inline?)]
diff --git a/collects/scribblings/gui/editor-intf.scrbl b/collects/scribblings/gui/editor-intf.scrbl
index 4720f272af..8a75d4618d 100644
--- a/collects/scribblings/gui/editor-intf.scrbl
+++ b/collects/scribblings/gui/editor-intf.scrbl
@@ -959,7 +959,11 @@ The @scheme[show-errors?] argument is no longer used.
 
 
 @defmethod[(insert-image [filename (or/c path-string? #f) #f]
-                         [type (or/c 'unknown 'gif 'jpeg 'xbm 'xpm 'bmp 'pict) 'unknown]
+                         [type (one-of/c 'unknown 'unknown/mask 'unknown/alpha
+                                         'gif 'gif/mask 'gif/alpha 
+                                         'jpeg 'png 'png/mask 'png/alpha
+                                         'xbm 'xpm 'bmp 'pict)
+                               'unknown/alpha]
                          [relative-path? any/c #f]
                          [inline? any/c #t])
            void?]{
@@ -1521,7 +1525,10 @@ Creates a @scheme[editor-snip%] with either a sub-editor from
 
 
 @defmethod[(on-new-image-snip [filename path?]
-                              [kind (or/c 'unknown 'gif 'jpeg 'xbm 'xpm 'bmp 'pict)]
+                              [kind (one-of/c 'unknown 'unknown/mask 'unknown/alpha
+                                              'gif 'gif/mask 'gif/alpha 
+                                              'jpeg 'png 'png/mask 'png/alpha
+                                              'xbm 'xpm 'bmp 'pict)]
                               [relative-path? any/c]
                               [inline? any/c])
            (is-a?/c image-snip%)]{
diff --git a/collects/scribblings/gui/image-snip-class.scrbl b/collects/scribblings/gui/image-snip-class.scrbl
index 5d34edf361..aa45b9c047 100644
--- a/collects/scribblings/gui/image-snip-class.scrbl
+++ b/collects/scribblings/gui/image-snip-class.scrbl
@@ -9,9 +9,9 @@ An @scheme[image-snip%] is a snip that can display bitmap images
 
 
 @defconstructor*/make[(([filename (or/c path-string? false/c) #f]
-                        [kind (one-of/c 'unknown 'unknown/mask 
-                                        'gif 'gif/mask 
-                                        'jpeg 'png 'png/mask 
+                        [kind (one-of/c 'unknown 'unknown/mask 'unknown/alpha
+                                        'gif 'gif/mask 'gif/alpha 
+                                        'jpeg 'png 'png/mask 'png/alpha
                                         'xbm 'xpm 'bmp 'pict) 'unknown]
                         [relative-path? any/c #f]
                         [inline? any/c #t])
@@ -95,9 +95,10 @@ relative to the owning editor's path}]
 }
 
 @defmethod[(get-filetype)
-           (one-of/c 'unknown 'unknwon/mask
-                     'gif 'gif/mask 
-                     'jpeg 'png 'png/mask 'xbm 'xpm 'bmp 'pict)]{
+           (one-of/c 'unknown 'unknown/mask 'unknown/alpha
+                     'gif 'gif/mask 'gif/alpha 
+                     'jpeg 'png 'png/mask 'png/alpha
+                     'xbm 'xpm 'bmp 'pict)]{
 
 Returns the kind used to load the currently loaded, non-inlined file,
  or @scheme['unknown] if a file is not loaded or if a file was loaded
@@ -106,9 +107,9 @@ Returns the kind used to load the currently loaded, non-inlined file,
 }
 
 @defmethod[(load-file [filename (or/c path-string? false/c)]
-                      [kind (one-of/c 'unknown 'unknown/mask 
-                                      'gif 'gif/mask 
-                                      'jpeg 'png 'png/mask 
+                      [kind (one-of/c 'unknown 'unknown/mask 'unknown/alpha
+                                      'gif 'gif/mask 'gif/alpha 
+                                      'jpeg 'png 'png/mask 'png/alpha
                                       'xbm 'xpm 'bmp 'pict) 'unknown]
                       [relative-path? any/c #f]
                       [inline? any/c #t])