How To Remove a Background In Photoshop [For Beginners!]
TLDRThis tutorial introduces beginners to removing backgrounds in Photoshop through a step-by-step guide. It covers the use of Select and Mask workspace, Quick Selection Tool, and Adobe Sensei's AI for precise selections. The video also explains how to fine-tune the mask edge for a realistic cutout and how to replace the background with a new layer. Tips for refining selections and addressing imperfections are provided, making it an informative resource for Photoshop novices.
Takeaways
- 🎨 **Beginner-Friendly Tutorial**: The video is designed for beginners, ensuring a slow pace and easy-to-understand instructions for removing backgrounds in Photoshop.
- 📸 **Image Selection**: The example image used is of a woman running through a bridge, which will have its background removed during the tutorial.
- 🔍 **Select and Mask Workspace**: Introduced as the dedicated workspace in Photoshop for making precise selections and masks.
- 🖌️ **Quick Selection Tool**: Utilized for making an initial selection by clicking and dragging over the image to automatically find edges.
- 🧠 **Adobe Sensei AI**: Highlighted as a feature in newer Photoshop versions that can automatically select the main subject in an image with a single click.
- 📐 **Object Selection Tool**: Demonstrated for making selections when an image contains multiple subjects and only one is to be selected.
- 🖱️ **Fine-Tuning the Selection**: Emphasized the need to manually adjust and fine-tune the automatically generated selection for accuracy.
- 🌐 **Mask Edge Refinements**: Discussed the use of sliders like Smooth, Feather, Contrast, and Shift Edge to improve the mask's edge quality.
- 🧑🦰 **Separate Hair Selection**: Recommended separating the selection of the subject's body from the hair for better results.
- 🎭 **Refine Edge Brush Tool**: Introduced for detailed selection adjustments, especially around hair.
- 🌈 **Adding a New Background**: Showed how to place a new background behind the subject using the Place Embedded option in File.
- ✅ **Non-Destructive Editing**: Stressed the importance of using Layer Masks for non-destructive editing, allowing for adjustments without losing the original image data.
Q & A
What is the purpose of the 'Select and Mask' workspace in Photoshop?
-The 'Select and Mask' workspace is a dedicated workspace in Photoshop that helps users make precise selections and masks. It provides a set of tools for making or editing selections, as well as options for fine-tuning the mask or selection.
How can you use the Quick Selection Tool to start making a selection in an image?
-You can use the Quick Selection Tool by enabling it from the Toolbar and then click-and-drag over the image. Photoshop will automatically find the edges of the areas you click-and-drag over. If you need to deselect certain areas, you can use the Subtract option or hold Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac) and click-and-drag to deselect.
What is Adobe Sensei and how does it help in making selections in Photoshop?
-Adobe Sensei is an artificial intelligence technology used by Adobe to enhance its software capabilities. In Photoshop, it can be used to make selections by clicking on the 'Select Subject' button, which allows Photoshop to analyze the image and automatically select the main subject.
How can you fine-tune an automatically generated selection in Photoshop?
-After an automatic selection is generated, you can fine-tune it by using the Quick Selection Tool or the Brush Tool to add or paint in missing details. You can also adjust the mask edge using the Global Refinements sliders such as Smooth, Feather, Contrast, and Shift Edge to improve the selection's edges.
What is a Layer Mask in Photoshop and how is it used?
-A Layer Mask in Photoshop is a non-destructive way of hiding or showing pixels in an image. It allows users to hide parts of a layer without permanently deleting those parts. It can be edited and adjusted, and any hidden pixels can be revealed again if needed.
How can you adjust the mask edge to make it look more realistic?
-To adjust the mask edge, you can use the Global Refinements sliders such as Smooth to smooth out the edges, Contrast to make the edges sharper, Feather to blur the edges, and Shift Edge to move the mask edge in or out. These adjustments help to eliminate jaggedness, blurriness, and halos for a more realistic cutout.
Why is it recommended to separate the selection of the body and hair when removing the background from a photo?
-Separating the selection of the body and hair is recommended because the edges around the body and hair require different treatment. The smoothing, contrast, and shift edge adjustments that work for the body may not yield good results for the hair, so separating them allows for more precise and better-quality selections.
What is the Refine Edge Brush Tool used for in the Select and Mask workspace?
-The Refine Edge Brush Tool is used for making detailed selections, especially around complex areas like hair. When painting with this brush, Photoshop analyzes the pixels around the hair and makes a better job of selecting them, creating a more accurate and clean selection.
How can you add a new background to an image in Photoshop?
-To add a new background, you can use the 'Place Embedded' option found under the File menu. This allows you to place a new background image as a layer over your original image. You can then adjust the positioning and commit the changes to integrate the new background.
What is the Remove Background button in the Properties Panel used for?
-The Remove Background button utilizes the same artificial intelligence as the Select and Mask Workspace to analyze the image, make a selection, and create a Layer Mask in one step. This feature provides a quick way to remove backgrounds, but it may still require fine-tuning for better results.
How can you further enhance a composite image to make it look more realistic?
-To enhance a composite image, you may need to add shadows, highlights, and match the color of the foreground element with the new background. There are advanced tutorials available that cover these topics, teaching users how to make a composite image look more realistic.
Outlines
🎨 Photoshop Background Removal for Beginners
This paragraph introduces the video's focus on teaching beginners how to remove backgrounds in Photoshop. The speaker promises a slow-paced, easy-to-follow tutorial and provides a link in the video description for viewers to download the same photo used in the tutorial. They also encourage viewers to like and subscribe to the Photoshop Training Channel. The image used is of a woman running through a bridge, and the goal is to remove the background using a simple yet versatile technique. The process begins with opening the image in Photoshop and using the Select and Mask workspace for precise selections. The paragraph explains the various tools and options available in this workspace, including the Onionskin mode for transparency and the Quick Selection Tool for making selections. It also mentions the use of Adobe Sensei's artificial intelligence for automatic subject selection and the Object Selection Tool for refining the selection when there are multiple subjects in the image.
🖌️ Fine-Tuning the Selection and Mask Edges
The second paragraph delves into the fine-tuning process of the selection and mask edges in Photoshop. After an initial selection is made using the Select Subject button, the presenter discusses the need for further refinement. They introduce the Global Refinements sliders, including Smooth, Feather, Contrast, and Shift Edge, which are used to adjust the mask's edges for a more realistic look. The presenter demonstrates how to use these sliders, emphasizing the importance of Smooth for jagged edges and Contrast for sharper edges. They also address the issue of halos or fringing around the edges and show how to use the Shift Edge slider to mitigate this. Additionally, they cover the use of the Brush Tool to manually paint in missing details and correct imperfections. The paragraph concludes with a focus on selecting and refining the subject's hair separately from the body for better results.
🌈 Adding a New Background and Final Touches
The final paragraph covers the steps to add a new background to the image and make final adjustments to the mask. The presenter shows how to output the refined selection as a Layer Mask, which is a non-destructive method that allows for future edits. They then add a Solid Color adjustment layer to serve as the new background, emphasizing that the color choice is not crucial at this stage. The paragraph also addresses potential imperfections in the mask, which can be corrected by painting with a Brush Tool using white to add or black to subtract pixels. The presenter demonstrates a technique to temporarily reduce the mask's opacity to better see and correct these imperfections. They also mention a quick mask feature available in the Properties Panel for faster mask creation using artificial intelligence. Lastly, the paragraph includes instructions on how to place a new background image into the composition and concludes with a reminder to check out additional tutorials for more advanced techniques such as shadow and highlight adjustments, and color matching.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Photoshop
💡Select and Mask
💡Quick Selection Tool
💡Adobe Sensei
💡Object Selection Tool
💡Layer Mask
💡Refine Edge Brush
💡Global Refinements
💡Foreground and Background Colors
💡Density Slider
💡Remove Background Button
Highlights
The video is a beginner-friendly tutorial on removing backgrounds in Photoshop.
The presenter provides a link to download the same photo used in the tutorial for practice.
Photoshop's Select and Mask feature is introduced as a dedicated workspace for precise selections.
Quick Selection Tool and Adobe Sensei's Select Subject button are shown for easy subject selection.
The use of Object Selection Tool in combination with Lasso mode for choosing a single subject in a multi-subject image.
Manual fine-tuning is emphasized for improving the accuracy of the automatically generated selection.
The importance of separating body and hair selections for better results is discussed.
Global Refinements sliders such as Smooth, Feather, Contrast, and Shift Edge are explained for mask edge adjustments.
A technique to reduce halos or fringing around the mask edges using the Shift Edge slider is demonstrated.
The Refine Edge Brush Tool is shown for detailed selection adjustments, particularly around hair.
Photoshop 2021's Refine Hair button is introduced for AI-assisted hair selection.
Creating a Layer Mask for non-destructive background removal is covered.
Adding a solid color background to the image to visualize the result is demonstrated.
The ability to edit and fine-tune a Layer Mask using the Brush Tool with white and black colors is explained.
An alternative quick mask creation method using the Remove Background button is highlighted.
Placing a new background image as a layer to replace the old one is shown.
Advanced topics like shadows, highlights, and color matching for a realistic composite are briefly mentioned.
The presenter, Jesus Ramirez, encourages viewers to like, subscribe, and turn on notifications for more Photoshop tutorials.