How to Remove Background in Photoshop: 6 Simple & Quick Ways
Do you want to remove the background in Photoshop but don’t know how to do it? Do you want to remove something from a photo, but can’t figure out where the object is located? Or you’re looking for a way to make your background more suitable for your project? If so, then it’s time for you to read this article.
Backgrounds are the most important part of your images. Without a good background, a good image becomes a bad one. The good thing is that you can remove backgrounds in Photoshop and make your images look unique and more attractive.
This article will teach you 6 easy ways to remove backgrounds in Photoshop.
Method 1: Remove Background in Photoshop Using Quick Action (Official Recommended Way)
The in-built Photoshop Quick Action is by far the quickest option, and it is recommended that you use it whenever possible for eliminating backgrounds in Photoshop.
It includes the following steps:
- Open up your image in Photoshop and add it there.
- Find the Layer panel on the right side of the screen. Your newly uploaded image will be shown as the backdrop layer of the project. Right-clicking on it will bring up a menu where you may select “Duplicate Layer.” To quickly duplicate the current layer, you may also hit the CTRL + J key combination on a Windows PC or the Command + J key combination on a Mac.

- Select the Properties option from the drop-down menu that appears after clicking on the Window menu at the top of the screen.

- To choose the layer that was duplicated, navigate to the Layers panel, click on it, and then highlight it. Go to the Properties tab, and once you’re there, click the button labeled “Remove Background” in the Quick Action area. If you follow these steps, Photoshop will make it very simple for you to remove the backdrop.

In Photoshop, you may make the backdrop of the current image transparent by clicking the eye symbol that is located just before the background layer. After that, you may export the photo you modified onto your computer by clicking the File menu at the top of the screen and then selecting the Save As option. PNG is the best output format if you want a transparent backdrop.
Method 2: Remove Background from Image Photoshop With Object Selection Tool
The new Object Selection tool in Photoshop 2022 is one of the most impressive additions ever. The Object Selection tool uses Adobe Sensi AI technology to virtually automate the process of picking the subject of your images.
Here are the steps for removing background images from photoshop:
- Launch Photoshop and navigate to the Object Selection tool on the left side of the program’s toolbar. Now open the picture which you want to edit.
- Next, move your cursor over the subject at hand, and watch for the box around it to turn blue. If your cursor doesn’t become blue right away, try moving it around in tiny circles.

- Press the shift key while choosing all the elements you want to preserve in the shot to remove the backdrop. You may use this shortcut to automatically pick each object.
- In the following step, invert the selection by going to Select > Inverse (your background is selected instead of your objects).

- Then, to unlock your image’s layer, click the lock on the right side of the layer’s right side of the window. If there are no additional layers, the layer name will be “Layer 0.” Start removing the backdrop by clicking on the Eraser Tool and making sure your brush is big.

You don’t have to be concerned about Photoshop deleting the selections. Select the Object Selection tool and hover over your items once more if you need to reselect them.
Method 3: Remove Background Photoshop With Background Eraser Tool
To have greater control over background removal in Photoshop while still having the program perform part of the heavy lifting, use the Background Eraser tool. You’ll have to give up a little time for better control. You may use the Background Eraser tool to acquire a good deal of your desired result in a short amount of time if your photo is well-taken.
Check the steps of this method as below:
- After opening your image in Photoshop, right-click the Background layer, and select Duplicate Layer from the menu that appears. Click OK after giving your layer a name (you may call it whatever you like) in the resulting dialogue box. You can click the eye icon to the left of that layer to disable the original layer.
- Make sure that the Background Eraser tool is selected in your toolbox on the left. This tool may be found beneath the Eraser tool icon.

- To access the brush panel, click the brush symbol in the tool choices bar at the top of the screen.
- Raise the hardness to a value close to, or even equal to, 100 percent.

- We’ll now configure the tool for use. If you change the Sampling mode to Continuous, the program will take a sample of the image’s color palette each time you click on a part of the picture to delete it.

- Decide on a 25-29 percent tolerance for edges and tolerances. The eraser will be unable to erase colors that are too close to the sampled color if the tolerance setting is too low.
- If you want to protect Foreground color pixels, you can select the Protect Foreground Color option. To make a picture more secure, you can pick a hue from the image’s palette.

No matter how long or short it takes, this method yields outstanding results. You are in charge of deciding what the subject is and what it isn’t. There are several alternative strategies you may use if this doesn’t get the job done.
Method 4: Photoshop Remove Background Using Pen Tool
Photoshop’s Pen tool is a tried-and-true method for erasing backgrounds from photos. It allows you to have the largest impact on the final result. Because you have the most control, it may also be the most time-intensive.
- After opening your image in Photoshop, right-click the Background layer, and select Duplicate Layer from the menu that appears. Click OK to close the dialogue box and then give your layer a name (anything you choose). To remove the original layer, click the eye symbol on the left.
- You may find the Pen tool in the toolbox on the left side of the screen (above the Text tool). Start by zooming in on a certain part of your photograph. Click to start the first anchor at the edge of your topic (or an acceptable starting location). Afterward, you may begin to outline your subject by adding additional anchors.

- Use click-hold-drag to create a curved line and then move the mouse to fine-tune the curvature if necessary.
- Complete the journey once you’ve arrived at your starting spot. You’ll want to save the path once you’ve completed it and are satisfied with the outcomes. Dispatch the Paths panel by selecting Window > Paths (it should appear on the right-hand side by default). To create a new path, select New Path from the three-bar menu on the right and give it a name. In the Paths tab, you can now see your stored path.

- Click OK in the dialogue box after selecting Make Selection from the shortcut menu when you right-click your new path in the Paths panel (leave all defaults for now). You’ll be able to see where you were going with the ants if you do this.
- Because we don’t want to remove anything from the selection, we’ll need to update the selection to include everything but the subject. Select Inverse from the menu. In the image, you’ll see that the ants have spread out over the entire image and the subject, basically picking the background for the subject.
- Press Delete to remove the backdrop. Your background will become a white/gray checkered backdrop.

Method 5: Remove Background in Photoshop By Magnetic Lasso Tool
- Right-click your Background layer in Photoshop and select Duplicate Layer from the context menu that appears. Click OK to close the dialogue box and then give your layer a name (anything you choose). To remove the original layer, click the eye symbol to the left of it.
- From the toolbox on the left, select the Magic Lasso tool. Use the tool to trace the outline of your subject. As you move the cursor, you’ll see that it begins painting the path for you. You’ll need to be patient in this situation since you’ll need to work slowly, steadily, and methodically.
- Once you’ve launched the tool, you’ll need to complete a full circuit around your object before connecting back to where you started. Once you’ve made it back to the beginning, click the start point. Your pick will be surrounded by a swarm of marching ants.
- Go to Pick > Save Selection and give it a name to save your selection.
- Go to Select > Inverse to reverse the moving ants and eliminate the backdrop (they should now be running around the edge of the image and your subject). Select “delete” from the drop-down menu. You will see a white/gray checkered backdrop in place of your old background.

Method 6: Use Quick Selection Tool
- Use Photoshop to open your image.
- The Quick Selection Tool may be found in the menu on the left (Photoshop Toolbox). It is tucked away in the Magic Wand Tool.
- Checking Enhance Edge in the Options menu should offer you smoother, higher-quality selection edges.
- Select the area you wish to edit by clicking the button and dragging the mouse cursor over it. As long as it doesn’t locate an edge, Quick Selection will keep looking for tones that match the selected tones.
- Consider whether you’d like to include anything else. If this is the case, just click and drag to a new location.
- Go to Select > Inverse to reverse the moving ants and eliminate the backdrop (they should now be running around the edge of the image and your subject). Select “delete” from the drop-down menu to delete the background.

FAQs About Remove Background Photoshop
1. What tool removes background in Photoshop?
Photoshop has a wide range of tools that can help you remove background from your photos. Most of these tools are integrated into the main toolbox. These three tools are mainly used to remove the background image from photoshop:
- The Background Eraser Tool
- The Magic Wand Tool
- The Lasso Tool
2. How do I remove the background mask in Photoshop?
You can use the Eraser tool to erase the background. Simply click on the background, hold down your left mouse button and then drag it over to the desired area.
Alternatively, you can also use the Magnetic Lasso tool to trace your subject. Then select Erase from the Options Bar and click on it to remove all unwanted areas from your image.
3. Which one is the best way to remove background photoshop?
The best way to remove background in Photoshop is using the quick action tool. We prefer this way because it gives you full control over to remove the area of the background. Moreover, the Adobe official also recommends it as it is the quickest and simplest way to remove background photoshop.
Conclusion
It’s never been easier to get rid of a backdrop in Photoshop thanks to these methods explained above. You can use the methods above to remove a subject from a photo quickly and easily, or you can use them to replace the backdrop of a more detailed image with superior results.