In this tutorial, learn step by step how to remove background in photoshop easily. There are multiple ways you can remove background in Adobe Photoshop software. 5 Quick and easy ways of removing or erasing background from the main subject are listed below:
Table of Contents
1. ‘Object Selection Tool’ To Remove Background In Photoshop
How To Remove Background In Photoshop with the ‘Object Selection Tool’? (4 Steps Below)
Steps (Object Selection Tool):
Step No.1: Open your photo in Photoshop software. In the left side toolbar, select the ‘Object Selection Tool’. Hover over your subject with the cursor and wait until you see a color highlighting it.
Step No.2: Once you see the color highlight, click on the subject. After clicking, If you see a zebra border around your subject. That means your subject is now properly selected.
Step No.3: Now, click on ‘Select’ in the top menu bar. There In the dropdown menu, click on ‘Inverse’. This will deselect whatever is currently selected and will select whatever is currently not selected. In our example, the subject (girl) will be deselected and the background will be selected.
Step No.4: In the bottom right ‘layer’s section’, unlock that photo’s layer (By clicking on the ‘lock icon’). In the left side toolbar, select the ‘Eraser Tool’ and start erasing the entire photo. This will not erase your subject because it is not currently selected (We inversed the selection in step no.3). Eraser will only erase whatever is currently selected, in our example: the background. After rubbing the eraser on the entire image, the background of your photo will be fully removed.
2. ‘Quick Action’ Option To Remove Background In Photoshop
How To Remove Background In Photoshop with the ‘Quick Action’ option? (3 Steps Below)
Steps (Quick Action Option):
Step No.1: Open your photo in Photoshop. In the bottom right ‘layer’s section’, right-click on that photo’s layer and click on ‘Duplicate Layer’. In the popup dialogue box, give the new layer a name and click on ‘Ok’. This will create a new duplicate layer above your original layer.
Step No.2: Just above the layer’s section, you will see a tab called ‘Properties’. Scroll down in the properties tab. Inside ‘Quick Action’ you will find a button called ‘Remove Background’, Click on it. (If you don’t see the ‘Properties Tab’, enable it in the ‘Windows’ section of photoshop’s topmost menu bar.)
Step No.3: In the layer’s section, click on the ‘eye icon’ in front of your Original Layer to hide it. (not the duplicate one). Once you do this, you will see the background is now removed.
3. ‘Select Subject’ Option To Remove Background In Photoshop
How To Remove Background In Photoshop with the ‘Select Subject’ option? (3 Steps Below)
Steps (Select Subject Option):
Step No.1: Open your photo in Photoshop. In the bottom right ‘layer’s section’, unlock that photo’s layer. (By clicking on the ‘lock icon’) Skip, if already unlocked. Then, Go to the ‘Select’ tab in the topmost menu bar. In the dropdown menu, click on ‘Subject’. This will automatically select your subject.
Adjust the selection: Hold the left button of your mouse and Rub on the unselected areas of the image to extend the selection. Do the same thing while also pressing the Alt key (in windows) or Option key (in mac) to deselect areas.
Step No.2: Now, again go to the ‘Select’ tab in the top menu bar. This time in the dropdown menu, click on ‘Inverse’. This will deselect whatever is currently selected (subject: dancer) and will select whatever is currently not selected (background). In short, the background is now selected.
Step No.3: Select the ‘Eraser Tool’ and start erasing the entire photo. This will not erase your subject because it is not currently selected (We inversed the selection in step no.2). Eraser will only erase the current selection which is ‘background’. Hence, the background is removed.
4. ‘Background Eraser Tool’ To Remove Background In Photoshop
How To Remove Background In Photoshop with the ‘Background Eraser Tool’? (3 Steps Below)
Steps (Background Eraser Tool):
Use case: This tool is slow but good for those who want full control over removing the background. Be patient if you choose to use this tool.
Step No.1: Open the photo in photoshop. In the bottom left ‘Layer’s Section’, right-click on the photo’s layer and click on ‘Duplicate Layer’. This will create a copy of that layer. Then, Hide the original layer (not the copy) by clicking on the ‘eye icon’ in front of it.
Step No.2: Now, we will perform all the editing on the ‘Duplicate Layer’, so tap and select it in the ‘Layer’s Section’. In the left side toolbar, click on the ‘Background Eraser Tool’ under the primary ‘Eraser Tool’ (Click and hold the eraser tool to reveal more tools hidden inside it).
Settings Of ‘Background Eraser Tool’: Once you select a tool, a ‘tool options bar’ appears at the top, which contains all the settings of your currently selected tool. After selecting the ‘Background Eraser Tool’, in the top ‘tool options bar’ there is a ‘white dot’ icon which is the ‘brush icon’. Click on that ‘brush icon’ to open the ‘brush panel’. There, you can adjust brush settings like size (‘]’ to increase, ‘[‘ to decrease), hardness (Normally around 100), etc.
Step No.3: Click-hold and move the eraser brush on the photo to start erasing. Tip 1: Do not erase in one go. Erase the full image in multiple small strokes by holding and releasing the eraser multiple times. So that you can undo (Ctrl+Z) and redo (Ctrl+Y) small changes and your whole progress is not wasted. Tip 2: Keep changing the eraser size accordingly while erasing different areas of the image. Once you complete erasing the entire background, you will get your final photo with no background.
5. ‘Other Selection Tools’ To Remove Background In Photoshop
How To Remove Background In Photoshop using any selection tool in photoshop’s toolbar? (3 Steps Below)
Steps (Other Selection Tools):
It is possible to remove a photo’s background with any selection tool present in photoshop software. The process is similar for all the selection tools. Like: Quick Selection tool, Lasso tools, Pen tool, Polygonal Lasso Tool, Magic Wand Tool, etc.
Step No.1: Open the photo in photoshop. In the bottom right ‘Layer’s Section’, right-click on the photo’s layer and click on ‘Duplicate Layer’. A duplicate ‘copy of layer’ will be created above the original layer. In front of the original layer (not the copy), there is an ‘Eye Icon’, click on it. This will disable/hide the original layer. Now, tap on the duplicate layer to select it. This means all the editing will be now performed on the copy layer (duplicate one).
Step No.2: Learn how to use any selection tool, among all in the left side toolbar. Select the subject with that selection tool (any). Once the subject is selected properly, at the top menu bar click on ‘Select’, then inside it click on ‘Inverse’. This will deselect whatever is currently selected (our subject) and will select whatever is currently not selected (background). In short, the background is now selected.
Step No.3: Grab the ‘Eraser tool’, and roughly start erasing the entire image. Don’t worry, the subject will not be erased, even if you rub the eraser on it. This is because ‘Subject’ is currently not selected (We inversed the selection in Step No.2). Everything else (background) will be erased because other than the subject, everything else is selected. After completing the erasing process in a few seconds, you will get your final photo with no background.
6. Bonus Point: Adobe’s Free Online Background Remover
How To Remove Background In Photoshop using Free Online Image Background Remover. (Link Below)
Use case: You want to remove your photo’s background, but you don’t want to do anything by yourself. Let Adobe’s AI (Artificial Intelligence) do all the hard work for you. You just receive your final photo with no background.
Link: Click Here (Adobe’s Online Background Remover)
Steps: Signup with a free account. Upload your photo. Wait, let Adobe do the work. Boom, download your photo with the background removed. Use it, or import it into your existing photoshop project for further editing.