Are you looking for a quick guide on How to Photoshop someone into a picture? After completing this step-by-step tutorial, you will be able to photoshop anyone into any picture. Not just people, these same steps can also be applied to any object also. There are multiple ways How to Photoshop someone into a picture, the easiest and the most accurate method is written in this article:
Table of Contents
Steps Of How to Photoshop Someone into a Picture
1. Open the Photos in Photoshop
In the same project, open 2 photos in photoshop. One has your ‘subject’ (person), and the other one is the ‘background’ (where you want to place the person).
Once opened, you will see both photos in different tabs at the top. You can switch between both photos through those tabs.
2. Create a Duplicate Layer for editing
In the photo which has your subject (Person), go to the bottom right layer’s section and right-click on the photo’s layer. Then, click on ‘Duplicate Layer’. A popup will appear, asking you to name your duplicate layer, name it and click on ‘OK’. This will create a duplicate layer above your original layer. Now, we will perform all the editing on the duplicate layer (not the original), so tap on it to select it.
3. Select the person with Quick Selection Tool
Now, it’s time to select the subject (Person). You can use any selection tool here. For example- object selection tool, quick selection tool, magic wand tool, magnetic lasso tool, etc. I will be using the ‘Quick Selection Tool’.
How to use the quick selection tool: In the left side toolbar, select the ‘Quick Selection Tool’. While holding the left key on your mouse, start moving your cursor on the areas of your subject (Person). As you move your cursor, the selection outline will also smartly expand. Release the mouse left key for a break. Tip: Select in multiple small strokes by holding and releasing the cursor multiple times, this will make the undo (Ctrl+Z) and redo (Ctrl+Y) easier.
Subtracting (-) the selection by the quick selection tool: To subtract from the current selection, hold the keyboard’s ‘Alt’ key (windows) / ‘Option’ key (mac) while you select. Use this to erase unwanted parts of your current selection.
4. Create a Layer Mask of the selection
Once the subject (Person) is properly selected. Inside the ‘Layers Section’, at the bottom, you will find the ‘Add layer mask’ icon, click on it. This will create a mask of the currently selected layer. So make sure, the layer that has the selection (duplicate layer) is selected in the layers section when you are creating a mask.
5. Drag and drop the person to the background
Now, drag the full layer that we have just masked, and drop it straight into the photo’s tab where you want to place it.
6. Resizing the position of the person
To adjust the size and position of the person, click and select the person’s cutout. Click on ‘Edit’ at photoshop’s top options bar, then in the dropdown menu click on ‘Free Transform’. Or press the keyboard shortcut ‘Ctrl + T’ (Windows) / ‘Cmd + T’ (Mac).
You will now see adjustment points around the person’s cutout. Now, fit the person perfectly in the background photo by scaling, rotating, and repositioning it. Keep changing the size and position until you are satisfied with the results.
Below are the additional steps you can follow to make the person look even more realistic in the background.
Additional Steps Of How to Photoshop Someone into a Picture
7. Refine the Selection
The ‘Quick Selection Tool’ did a basic selection which is pretty good, but it can’t be considered as best. There are some minor imperfections left in the person’s photo. To erase those leftover imperfections, we will refine the selection in this step. This step is like a ‘Second round’, which will make the person’s cutout look even better. Follow the steps below:
Go to the left side toolbar, and select the ‘eraser tool’. At the top, there is a ‘tools option bar’ which contains all the settings for the currently selected tool (Eraser Tool). There is a ‘white dot’ icon, which is the ‘brush icon’. Click on that ‘brush icon’ to open the ‘brush panel’. Inside the brush panel, you can adjust the size and hardness of the eraser brush. I recommend you take a small-sized eraser with around 0% hardness.
Now, select the person’s mask layer in the layers section. Zoom in on the photo (IN = ‘ctrl’ and ‘+’, OUT = ‘ctrl’ and ‘-‘) and start erasing all the remaining unwanted areas of the person’s photo that are missed by the previous ‘quick selection tool’. Be careful while erasing, do not over-erase, just give the person’s photo some finishing touches. Like erasing extra hairs, erasing shades of previous background at the edges, etc.
8. Match the Color Tone and Temperature
To make the person look like he is actually present in the background, you have to change the color tone and temperature of the person according to the lighting conditions of the background. For that follow the steps below:
Above the layers section, in the ‘Adjustments’ tab, There are various options to change the color properties (brightness, contrast, temperature, etc). Adjusting these properties will create a new adjustment layer in the layers section. But, all the changes will be applied to the whole photo which we don’t want. Position the ‘person’s mask layer’ exactly below the new ‘adjustment layer’. Then, right-click on the adjustment layer, and click on ‘Create Clipping Mask’. This setting will ensure that all the color adjustments present in the adjustment layer, only applies to the layer just below it (the person’s mask layer), not the whole photo.
Bonus Tip On How to Photoshop Someone into a Picture
Match the Face sizes: If the photo where you want to add a new person already has other people in it. While positioning the new person, make sure you match the face size by comparing it to the other faces in the frame. If the face sizes are looking real, everything else in the photo will automatically look aligned.
For Example: ‘Person B’ has a little bigger face than ‘Person A’ in real life. ‘Person A’ is in the photo already. While you photoshop ‘Person B’ in the picture, take the face size of ‘Person A’ as a reference and size the face of ‘Person B’ a little larger.
This is how to photoshop someone into a picture.
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