Even though it may seem complicated, removing a background from an image in Adobe Photoshop is actually very simple. We're going to look at two functions that will help you get rid of backgrounds: one for basic backgrounds and the other for more complex ones.
The Magic Eraser is the easier tool, but can only be used to eliminate single-color backgrounds. This tool is found on the left-hand side of the screen beneath the blue Ps logo. The icon is a pink eraser, which you'll click and hold for a moment until a list of options appears. You will see an option that says Magic Eraser. Click on it. From there, simply click the color in the image that you wish to erase.
For more complex, multi-color backgrounds, use the Background Eraser tool. It is another one of the options that appears when you click and hold the pink eraser.
Once the
Background Eraser is selected, look at the options at the top of the screen
just above the workspace (the area of the window where your picture appears).
There is an option called Brush,
which allows you to change the brush size. You'll want to make the brush larger
while working with large areas and smaller while working with small areas.
To the right
of Brush, there should also be a drop-down menu called Limits. Select Contiguous
from the list of options. You'll also want to set Tolerance to Low.
The
Background Eraser tool uses a tiny crosshair in the middle of its circle. Only
the colors directly beneath the crosshair and the ones bordering it will be
erased as you use the brush. As long as the crosshair never touches the parts
of the image that you wish to keep, they will not be erased, even if the circle
touches them.
No matter
which method you choose, you'll want to use the Smudge tool to smooth out any remaining edges once you have removed
your background. It is located on the left-hand side of the screen.
