How to remove the background of a picture is such an easy thing, right? So why do so few people know how to go about this? Have you ever taken a picture with your phone or camera, but the background of it is ugly? Want to make it look better? This article shows you how to remove the background of a picture.
Pictures and photos sometimes contain background images and objects that decrease the overall quality of your images. Most popular photo editor programs such as Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Office feature built-in tools that allow you to remove backgrounds and specific items without the use of third-party applications.
Table of Contents
Method 1 Using Adobe Photoshop
Using the Background Eraser Tool
Open the picture from which you want the background removed.
Click on the “Eraser” tool in the left sidebar. This displays all your eraser tool options.
Select “Background Eraser Tool.” This tool is designed specifically for erasing picture backgrounds.
Select a round, hard brush from the Options bar at the top of your session. This brush is most effective at erasing large backgrounds. If working with smaller images and backgrounds, experiment with using a different brush style.
Select your preferred sampling from the Options bar. Select “Continuous” if erasing multiple colors in the background, or select “Once” if removing a background with one or two colors.
Select “Find Edges” from the Limits dropdown menu. This feature allows you to remove the background while preserving the sharpness of edges in your picture.
Select a value from the Tolerance dropdown menu. A low tolerance level is ideal for erasing one to two colors, while a high tolerance level erases a larger amount of colors. For example, if erasing the blue background of a sky, set your tolerance level between 20 and 25 percent for the best results.
Position your cursor near the edge of the object from which you want the background removed. For example, if removing a tree behind a vehicle, position the pointer near the edge of the vehicle. The pointer will turn into a circle with crosshairs at its center.
Click and drag the cursor across the background you want removed. Take care not to drag the crosshairs over the edges of the object against the background, since this erases part of your image.
- Use a smaller brush size to remove the background from small, tight areas between the object and background.
Click “File” and select “Save.” The background of your picture is now removed.
Using the Lasso Tool
Open the image in Photoshop. If you haven’t already done so, click the File menu, select Open, select the image, and then click Open.
Right-click the Background layer. You’ll see this layer on the “Layers” panel, which is usually near the bottom of the right side of the screen. A menu will appear.
- If you don’t see the Layers panel, press F7 to toggle it on.
Click Duplicate Layer. A pop-up will appear.
Name the new layer and click OK. You can call it something like “invisible background.”
Hide the original Background layer from view. To do this, you’ll click the small eyeball icon on the “Background” layer in the Layers panel.
Select the new layer in the Layers panel. This is the one you created and named earlier. Now you’ll be working on this new layer.
Select the Lasso Tool. It’s the icon of a lasso in the toolbar that runs along the left side of the screen. This tool allows you to trace around the part of image you want to keep.
- There are multiple lasso tools you can use to select the image. Right-click the Lasso tool to view the options.
- If the background isn’t too busy, use the Magnetic Lasso tool. The line you trace around the image will try to stick to the selected image like a magnet.
Trace a line around the part of the image you want to keep. The idea is to trace a line around the subject, capturing as little of the background as possible. Once you’re done making your selection, a dotted line will flash around the selection.
- Regular Lasso: Click and drag to draw a line around the subject.
- Magnetic Lasso: Click the mouse once on one edge of the subject you want to preserve, then slowly move the mouse around the subject (without clicking). Once you’ve surrounded the whole subject, click the starting point to finish the selection.
- If you need to zoom in for a closer look, press Control++ (PC) or Command++ (Mac). To zoom out, press Control+- (PC) or Command+- (Mac).
- To undo your last action, press Control+Z (PC) or Command+Z (Mac).
Click the Select menu. It’s at the top of the screen.
Click Inverse. This selects the background rather than the subject you traced.
Press Delete or ← Backspace. This removes the background, replacing it with a gray and white checkered pattern. This pattern is invisible, so when you save the image, only the subject will be saved.
Press Ctrl+D (PC) or Command+D (Mac). This deselects the image, removing the dotted line.
- Since you’re working on a new layer, the original background layer (the one called Background) still contains the original background. If you no longer need that version, right-click the Background layer and select Delete Layer’.
Save the image. When you save the image in any format, it will be saved without a background.
Method 2 Using Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel
Open your document and select the picture from which you want the background removed.
Click on the “Format” tab and select “Background Removal” under Picture Tools.
Click one of the handles surrounding your picture, then drag the handle so the picture you want to keep is just inside the marquee lines. This excludes most of the background you want removed.
Select either “Mark Areas to Keep,” or “Mark Areas to Remove.” The “keep” option allows you to choose the parts of the picture you don’t want automatically removed, while the “remove” option allows you to choose parts of the picture you want removed in addition to those automatically marked. For example, to remove the entire green background behind an object, select “Mark Areas to Remove.”
Select all areas you want removed from the picture. A minus sign will appear in these areas to indicate their removal.
Click anywhere outside of your selected image when finished. The background areas selected will now be removed from your picture.
Conclusion
It seems like there are so many ways to remove the background of a picture right now that it’s impossible to ever really know what will work best for you. This is why it is good to go for the methods that are popular and have been tested and trusted.