Hello, all...

Thanks to all that answered (too numerous to mention)!!
There were many creative solutions, but the answer was simple, although, as with some other ArcView functions, it seems a weird way to do things.

>>The Solution:

In a photo editing program (I used Corel PhotoPaint), create the GIF and set the background color (usually white) to transparent.
In ArcView, in the Symbol Window, click on Palette Manager, and set Type: to Marker.  Click Import.  Select the desired image.  (I had gotten this far before).
The trick - when you add the marker to a view or layout, you have to set the Background color in the Symbol Window to whatever the transparent color is in the GIF image (I used white).  Wonders never cease.

Several people suggested creating a TTF, but my poor little Corel program couldn't seem to handle the task, perhaps because I was trying to create a fairly detailed marker.

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to answer!

eric

>>Original Question:

I know how to create a marker (point symbol) from a graphic image such as a
Bitmap or GIF. My problem is that the symbol also has a white background
around it. Is there a way to create a marker without the white around it
(i.e., just the symbol itself)?
I am running 3.2a.