Xara :: Transparent GIF And Editing Image

First issue (see screen shot 1): As an example I created a simple b&w text image, which I subsequently saved to file as a GIF. At a later time I decide to open the saved file in order to edit the image. In editing all I want to do is remove the 2 dots over the letter "i" and re-save the image. Screen shot 1 shows the image unlocked on the page after re-opening the file. I cannot figure out how to edit the image at this point in order to remove the dots over the "i. I know I am overlooking a simple step, but I've tried everything. What is the secret to going back and cutting out just part of an image after the image has already been created.

Second issue (see screen shot 2): After many, many, many attempts I am still unable to create a simple GIF image with a totally transparent background so I can use the image on colored backgrounds. Using the same image example as above, I first went to Arrange>Create Bitmap Copy. That brings up the "Create bitmap options" window. For color depth I choose True color+Alpha. Then I hit the create button. The image I just created is selected on the page, and I then click the Export button to save it. After naming the file and clicking the Export button, I am taken to the GIF Export Bitmap Options window. At this point I have tried both transparency options. If I choose the option to make the background transparent, I end up with an image surrounded by white artifacts when the image is placed over a colored background (as shown in the top of screen shot 2). If I start over and choose instead to make a color transparent (in this case I chose to make white transparent since the image was created with a white background), I end up with the image surrounded by a block of white (the lower image in screen shot 2). What is the proper way to make transparent GIFs?