SeeThru 1.0.2 (Freeware)

SeeThru is a tool that enables the background colour for the text under icons on the desktop be made transparent.

Colour of the icon text can also be selected to ensure good contrast with the desktop colour. Works under W95, W98, NT4 and W2000 (but not if Active Desktop is running).

This was one of the first utilities to do this, written way back in the middle of 1997. Many have appeared since, most of which either reverse-engineered this program or are based on articles that appeared at the time which explained how the feat was accomplished.