How to Remove a Background in Adobe Photoshop

The short answer

In recent versions of Photoshop, the quickest way to remove a background is the Remove Background quick action. It detects the main subject and adds a layer mask that hides everything else. You then refine the mask edges and export the image as a PNG so the transparent areas are kept. Automatic detection works best when the subject contrasts clearly with the background. Hair, fur, glass, soft edges and backgrounds similar in colour to the subject usually need manual cleanup. Older releases such as CS6 do not have the automatic tools, so you have to build the selection by hand.

Scope note: Photoshop edits still images. It cannot replace the background in a live webcam feed, and it has no effect on microphone input or speech capture. For video calls, its practical use is preparing images, such as a custom backdrop or a cut-out logo, that you then load into your conferencing app or virtual camera software.

Before you start

• Unlock the Background layer. A locked Background layer cannot hold transparency, so click its lock icon to turn it into a normal layer.
• Prefer layer masks to erasing. A mask hides pixels without deleting them, so you can correct mistakes later. Erasing tools remove pixels permanently.
• Duplicate the layer if you plan to use a destructive tool such as the Background Eraser or Magic Eraser.
• Check menu names in your own version. Panel and menu locations have changed between releases, and the paths below may differ slightly in your copy.

Method 1: The Remove Background quick action

• 1. Open the image and select the layer that contains the subject.
• 2. Open the Properties panel and find Quick Actions. Choose Remove Background. Newer versions also show this button in the contextual task bar that floats over the image.
• 3. Photoshop analyses the image and adds a layer mask that hides the background.
• 4. Zoom in on the edges. Select the mask thumbnail and paint with a black brush to hide leftover background or a white brush to restore parts of the subject.
• 5. Check the result: a grey-and-white checkerboard behind the subject means those areas are transparent.

Method 2: Select Subject with Select and Mask

This method gives you more control over difficult edges such as hair.

• 1. Make an initial selection. Use Select > Subject, or draw around the subject with the Object Selection tool or Quick Selection tool.
• 2. Open Select > Select and Mask.
• 3. Paint along hair or soft edges with the Refine Edge Brush so Photoshop can separate fine strands from the background.
• 4. Use the view modes, such as On Black or On White, to spot halos and leftover fringes.
• 5. Set Output To: Layer Mask and click OK.

Method 3: Make a white or solid-colour background transparent

Flat, single-colour backgrounds are common on logos, product shots and scanned graphics. For these, a colour-based selection is often faster than subject detection.

• 1. Choose the Magic Wand tool and click the background.
• 2. Adjust Tolerance in the options bar to control how similar a colour must be to be included.
• 3. Turn Contiguous on to select only connected areas of that colour. Turn it off to also catch enclosed areas, such as the inside of letters in a logo.
• 4. For finer control, use Select > Color Range instead and sample the background colour.
• 5. Invert the selection with Select > Inverse and add a layer mask. You can also delete the selected background on an unlocked layer.
• 6. If a thin white outline remains around the artwork, try Layer > Matting > Remove White Matte or Defringe on a pixel layer, or tighten the mask edge.

The Magic Eraser tool does the same job in one click by erasing every pixel similar to the one you click. It deletes pixels permanently, so use it only on a duplicate layer.

Method 4: The Background Eraser tool

The Background Eraser is grouped with the standard Eraser in the toolbar. It samples the colour under the crosshair at the centre of the brush and erases similar colours inside the brush area as you drag.

• Sampling: Continuous resamples as you move, Once keeps the first colour you click, and Background Swatch uses the current background colour.
• Limits: Contiguous erases connected matching pixels, Discontiguous erases matching pixels anywhere under the brush, and Find Edges tries to preserve sharp edges.
• Tolerance: lower values erase only very close colours, and higher values erase a wider range.
• Protect Foreground Color: stops the tool from erasing a colour you have set as the foreground colour.
• The tool is destructive, so work on a duplicate layer.

Method 5: The Pen tool for clean, hard edges

• 1. Select the Pen tool and set its mode to Path in the options bar.
• 2. Click to place anchor points along the subject's edge. Click and drag to create curves.
• 3. Close the path by clicking the first anchor point.
• 4. In the Paths panel, load the path as a selection. You can also use Ctrl+Enter on Windows or Cmd+Enter on macOS.
• 5. Add a layer mask to hide the background.

The Pen tool is slower, but it gives precise, smooth outlines on products, devices and logos with defined shapes. It is a poor choice for hair or fuzzy edges.

Removing backgrounds in Photoshop CS6

CS6 predates Select Subject, the Object Selection tool and the Remove Background quick action. It also uses Select > Refine Edge in place of the later Select and Mask workspace. The Quick Selection tool, Magic Wand, Color Range, Background Eraser, Magic Eraser, Pen tool and layer masks are all available. In CS6, make a selection with one of these tools, refine it with Refine Edge, and output it to a layer mask.

Which method to use

Image type | Suggested method | Main limitation

Person or object with clear contrast | Remove Background or Select Subject | Fine edges may need mask cleanup

Portrait with hair or fur | Select Subject plus Select and Mask (Refine Edge in CS6) | Results depend on background contrast

Logo or graphic on white or flat colour | Magic Wand or Color Range | Anti-aliased edges can leave a fringe

Uneven background, quick manual cleanup | Background Eraser | Permanently deletes pixels

Product with hard, defined edges | Pen tool | Time-consuming; unsuitable for hair

Saving the result with transparency

Save a PSD copy if you want to keep the editable layers and masks. To share or use the cut-out, export it as a PNG through File > Export, using Quick Export as PNG or Export As. JPEG does not support transparency, so the removed background will be filled with a solid colour. If you plan to use the image in a conferencing or virtual camera app, check that app's documentation for supported formats and recommended dimensions. No app-specific requirements were available for this guide.

Limits of this guide

This guide describes standard Photoshop features and general editing principles. It is not based on hands-on testing. No version-specific measurements, release dates or performance figures were supplied, so none are given. Exact menu locations and the availability of automatic tools vary between Photoshop releases, so confirm them in your installed version.