The Surface Java 2D renderers project has released version 1.5. "Image and layer filters is a new feature in 1.5. They are a bit buggy at the moment, but I do not know if this is due to my own incompetence or because the deep image code in the Java runtime is kinda bitchy. Windows and Mac behaviour seems different under ceirtain circumstances. I had to add a method for controlling the graphics context disposal logic just to get transparency to work under OS X."