How to Make a Transparent Background in Photoshop
Miscellaneous / / February 26, 2022
Five proven ways with which you will succeed.
How to Make a Transparent Background in Photoshop Using the Remove Background Feature
The simplest method that is suitable for pictures on a plain or relatively uniform background. It can also be used for more complex images, but the result in this case will not be as ideal.
Open the image and unlock the background layer by clicking on the padlock next to its name.
Expand the Quick Actions menu and click Remove Background.
After a second, the background will disappear, and all that remains is to save the photo. To do this, go to the menu "File" → "Export" → "Quick export to PNG" and select the desired folder.
How to Make a Magic Wand Transparent Background in Photoshop
Like the previous one, this method is good for images with a solid background. Colors that are close in tone are quite accurately selected with the Magic Wand tool, after which you just need to delete the selected area.
Import the photo and click on the lock icon on the background layer to unlock it.
Select "Magic Wand" from the toolbar and click on the background. If not all the desired area is selected, hold down Shift and click on the remaining areas to capture everything around the object in the frame.
Click key Delete to clear the background and then Ctrl + D (Cmd + D) to deselect.
To save, go to the menu "File" → "Export" → "Quick export to PNG" and specify the location for the new image.
How to make a transparent background with the Magnetic Lasso in Photoshop
In this way, you can cut out the background in pictures with objects of complex shape. Thanks to the ability of this tool to determine the edges of silhouettes quite accurately, you will have to make a minimum of effort.
Load the image into Photoshop and unlock it layerby clicking on the lock.
Switch to the "Magnetic Lasso" in the toolbar, click on an arbitrary point on the border of the object and background, and then drag along the path, releasing the mouse button.
If the key point was not added very accurately, cancel its creation by pressing the Delete key. To adjust, you can independently add points in the right places by simply clicking on them with the mouse.
Continue until you circle the whole object. Then click on the first anchor point to make a selection.
Press Shift + Ctrl + I (Shift + Cmd + I) to invert the selection and then Delete to remove the background.
Deselect by pressing Ctrl + D (Cmd + D) and save the result via File → Export → Quick PNG Export.
How to Make a Transparent Background in Photoshop Using the Quick Mask
Another way for situations where the background is complex and poorly defined automatically is the “Quick Mask”. This function allows you to paint over the desired area with a regular brush, after which it will be selected. It takes a little fiddling, but it's worth it.
Open the image, unlock the layer by clicking on the lock icon, and press the Q key to switch to Quick Mask mode.
Choose a regular brush, set the color to black and carefully paint over the object in the frame (it will be crimson). If you make a mistake somewhere, undo the action with Ctrl + Z (Cmd + Z).
When you're done, press Q again and the painted area will turn into a selection. Use the Delete key to delete the background.
To save the result, open the menu "File" → "Export" → "Quick export to PNG" and specify the desired folder.
How to Make a Transparent Background in Photoshop Using the Pen Tool
This method is similar to the previous one and is also convenient for pictures where there are objects of complex shape. The only difference is that the Pen tool is used for selection, which allows you to very accurately form curves for stroking paths. This option takes the most time, but the result is appropriate.
Open a photo, select "Pen" from the toolbar and start creating an outline of the object by clicking on its border.
Do not try to put as many key points as possible - on the contrary, make them only in those places where the curves of the lines begin and end. Then close the path by clicking on the first point.
Now select the Pen+ tool and add guide points in the middle of the lines where the outline is angular.
Drag on the extra marks to make curves out of straight lines and make them follow the path as closely as possible.
Right-click and select Select Area. If there are inaccuracies in the selection, try changing the feather radius from 0 to 1-3 pixels and experiment with this parameter.
Shift + Ctrl + I (Shift + Cmd + I) invert the selection and press Delete to remove the background.
Save the image by selecting "File" → "Export" → "Quick export to PNG" from the menu and specifying the desired folder on the disk.
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Mechanical engineer, well versed in engineering and technology. I have been using Mac and iPhone for more than 10 years, I know everything about the ecosystem and Apple products. Not only do I write, but I also know how and love to work with my hands. I worked as a car mechanic for 3 years, I only fix the car myself. He designed and built a house from scratch with his own hands, having accumulated a lot of experience along the way. I love old-school video games and comics, I play the guitar.