Remove Complex Backgrounds from Images in Photoshop

sshot-94

While tools like the Magic Eraser can sometimes remove your backgrounds, the fact is youre going to have to get your hands dirty with the eraser if you have images with complex backgrounds that need removing. While this can be time consuming, you can save yourself a lot of time with a little Photoshop wizardry. Lets take a look.

sshot-99

Right click your Background Layer in your Layers Palette, and choose Layer from Background It automatically renames as Layer 0. Simply press OK.

sshot-101

Your Layers Palette should only have a single layer, your newly unlocked Layer 0.

sshot-104

Press L to select the Lasso Tool. Check your options on your Control Palette near the top of your Photoshop screen. Make sure that yours looks like this screenshot. Most importantly, be certain that Anti-Alias is turned off.

sshot-105

Use your Lasso to draw a rough selection around your image. Dont worry about being precisewere going to cut it out with more precision later.

sshot-106

When your selection is done, press ctrl shift J to move your rough selection to a new layer with Layer Via Cut. You can safely delete Layer 0 and work only in your new layer.

sshot-112

Press e to bring up the eraser tool, or find it in your Toolbox.

sshot-114

Visit your Control Palette again and set your Mode to Pencil. This ensures your eraser has a hard edge.

sshot-115

Use the eraser to mouse around and delete the parts you dont want. Get close to your image, but be careful when cutting into it.

sshot-116

Keep in mind you can always undo with a swift ctrl z to undo or Ctrl alt z step back through your history(Its like multiple levels of undo, in case youre not familiar).

sshot-118

You dont need to remove every bit at this point. Once youve created a continuous gap around your image, we can start to remove the superfluous stuff you no longer need.

sshot-120

Heres where it gets a little advanced. You can simply use your eraser to remove the remainder of your image, but I dont like spending more time on a routine task than I need to.

Hold Ctrl and click your Layer 1. This will load a selection around your entire roughly cut out image.

sshot-121

Open the Channels Palette and click the icon new layer to create a new Alpha Channel.

sshot-122

Select this Alpha Channel (likely Alpha 1) by clicking it. It also lists a shortcut to it. A simple ctrl 4 in an RGB file will jump right to it.

sshot-218

Go to Edit > Fill and set your fill Dialog Box to Use: White like I show here and simply press OK.

sshot-125

Your Alpha chanel should fill with white in the shape of your roughly cut out image. Press ctrl d to Deselect.

sshot-127sshot-220

Click and hold on the Gradient Tool to bring up the Contextual Menu. Pick the Paint Bucket Tool. Ensure your Foreground Color is Black.

sshot-129

Simply click in the areas you dont want to fill them with black. If any of your superfluous areas touch your image, it will fill as well, so be careful.

sshot-131

Ctrl and Click on your Alpha 1 Channel to load the new selection you have just made.

sshot-132

Press ctrl tilde to return to your RGB. The Tilde key is located to the left of your 1 ! on a USA keyboard.

sshot-133

Return to your Layers Palette. Press ctrl shift J to move your selected image to a new layer. You can safely delete your old layer or simply choose to hide it.

sshot-135

Your image is now precisely cut from your background.

sshot-136

I usually click the adjustment layer to add a Color Fill style Adjustment Layer at the bottom of my Layers. This helps me check my work for halos and mistakes.

Image by Careyjamesbalboa via Wikipedia, in Public Domain.

Eric Z Goodnight is an Illustrator and Graphics Geek who hopes to make Photoshop more accessible to How-To Geek readers. When hes not headbanging to heavy metal or geeking out over manga, hes often off screen printing T-Shirts.


Remove Complex Backgrounds from Images in Photoshop
While tools like the Magic Eraser can sometimes remove your backgrounds, the fact is youre going to have to get your hands dirty with the eraser if you have images

Remove Complex Backgrounds from Images in Photoshop - UNP
(106572) Remove Complex Backgrounds from Images in Photoshop Digital Photography Remove Complex Backgrounds from Images in Photoshop.

How To Use Layer Masks and Vector Masks to Remove Complex ...
How To Use Layer Masks and Vector Masks to Remove Complex Backgrounds in Photoshop. ABOUT; Start with an image appropriate for background removal. This image and

How To Remove Image Background In Photoshop [Tutorial]
How To Remove Image Background In Photoshop [Tutorial] Lasso Tool is made for selecting objects with complex edges set against contrast colors.

How to Remove a Background from an Image in Photoshop CS5 ...
I'll address one of the most frequently asked questions about Photoshop. How to remove an image from the to remove an image from the Background.

Removing complex backgrounds in Photoshop | Oxford School ...
Here is a solution in Adobe Photoshop CS5 to remove the complex image Photoshop CS5 to remove the complex image background without

Photoshop Bell Ringer #18: Remove Complex Backgrounds from ...
Remove Complex Backgrounds from Images 1 Photoshop Bell Ringer #18: You can simply use your eraser to remove the remainder of your image,

How to Remove Background With Photoshop Elements (with ...
How to Remove Background With Photoshop Elements. There are a couple of ways to remove the background of an image, depending on how complex that background is. Ad.

Isolate an Object from a Complex Background in Photoshop ...
Quickly Remove Backgrounds with Photoshop of an image with a busy background and you'd Isolate an Object from a Complex Background in

Removing complex backgrounds in Photoshop CS3
. Home; Flashsong. flash song(1) Flash songs(9) Flash songs(10) # # # Flash songs(2)

Previous
Next Post »