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This lesson demonstrates how to extract backgrounds utilising the Background Eraser and Eraser Tools, and to work along, you will find the image I am working with - St George’s Church Cullercoats, England - Here. Unzip the file and open the image onto Photoshop’s workspace.
Undo and Navigation Steps
Two ways of undoing steps are from the top menu, Edit then Step Backwards. Alternatively, click a previous snapshot in the History Palette.
Navigate (zoom in and pan) your image using the Navigator Palette,
or the Zoom Tool. 
Activate The Hand Tool by tapping the Spacebar, keeping the Spacebar pressed, pan your image in the usual way. 
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Open your image onto Photoshop’s workspace.
Tip
Grab your image’s top-right menu, and drag it diagonally, upwards - to display its outer grey canvas.
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Now, from the toolbar, activate the Background Eraser Tool.
And to begin with, set the following settings into its Options bar.
Background Eraser Notes and Tips - continue with lesson here!
Immediately after you activate the The Background Eraser Tool, your photograph’s layer (in the Layers palette), will automatically change from Background to Layer 0. This creates the transparency layer needed for this tool to operate correctly. The Background Eraser Tool deletes background pixels as you drag your cursor over them. Important! You must remember to keep the following cross-guide, over the pixels your wish to delete, and not over the areas you wish to retain. The cross-guide samples the background, and removes all similar-coloured pixels.
Take a little time to familiarise yourself with the Background Eraser Tool.
Note
As you delete the (sky blue) background pixels, you will notice the Background swatch automatically changing to the lighter and darker sky blue pixels, you are currently deleting.
Settings
Settings and brush size (Master Diameter) are dependant upon the needs of your photograph; and need to be altered for different areas. The following attributes work well for my church image; however, experiment with different settings to see what works best for you.
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Now, left-click over the sky area, (or part of your own photograph), and a circular area will be removed; and replaced by the following chessboard transparency effect.
Note
The chessboard effect is Photoshop’s way of displaying transparency.
Now, whilst avoiding the building, continue to left-click, subsequently removing more sky; for quickness, left-click, and drag your cursor over the sky.
Tip
If you make a mistake, either Step Backwards, or click an earlier snapshot in the History palette.
Note
To remove stubborn sky pixels, ensure the small cross-guide (inside the circle), is directly over the area you wish to erase, then repeatedly left-click.
Continue removing sky pixels, slowly and carefully; and check your progress as you work. Tip: Release the left-side mouse button regularly, you can then quickly rectify errors, by stepping backwards, a step or two.
4/ Eraser Tool Tip
For quickness, from the toolbar, activate the Eraser Tool.
And set the following attributes.
Now, remove large areas of sky - being very careful not to touch the building.
Quickly adjust the brush size!
To adjust the brush size, tap your keyboard’s left-side (or right-side), bracket keys - ensuring the keyboard is set to lower case, and not capitals!
Remember to return to the Background Eraser Tool when working close to the church, or elements you wish to retain.
After you have removed the sky, or the background elements of your
photograph, you are ready for the next step.
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Zoom into your image, and ensure the Background Eraser Tool is active. Then set a Tolerance of around 45 - settings depend on your photograph.
Now, hover your cursor over the steeple, and ensure the cross inside the
circle-guide, is close to, but does not touch, the steeple - or the element you wish to retain.
Then left-click. You will notice the blue sky has been removed, and the steeple remains untouched.
Note
If you place the cross over the element you wish to keep, and left-click, the following will happen.
To rectify this error, go back a step or two, and reapply the Background Removal
Tool.
Now, continue left-clicking close to the steeple, (or your own element), removing the background elements - as illustrated below.
Navigate your photograph, and remove the sky from the corner of the church, as illustrated below.
Continue removing the sky that surrounds the building, in exactly the same way - altering the Master Diameter, Hardness, and Tolerance, as needed.
 
 
Note
Pay special attention to the areas indicated below, ensuring the brush size
(and Tolerance) are adjusted when needed - zoom in further, for accuracy.
 
Remember to remove stubborn background pixels with the Eraser Tool; however, be careful with this tool; it is not as forgiving as the Background Eraser Tool - and removes all pixels, not just background pixels.
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After you have removed all visible background pixels, you are ready for the next step.
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To ensure your background has been completely removed, from the top menu, choose Layer then choose New Fill Layer then choose Solid Colour.
In the subsequent New Layer dialogue box, (accept the default settings), then click OK.
In the subsequent Colour Picker dialogue box, left-click a contrasting colour to the background you have just removed. In my instance, I am choosing Solid White, illustrated by my screen capture here - then click OK.
A white (or your chosen colour), layer, will then be placed above your image.
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To reveal your image; from the Layers palette, left-click and drag the photograph layer above the white fill layer. The white background highlights background pixels that were not completely removed - as illustrated below.
 
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Now, activate the Background Eraser Tool, then zoom into your image, and carefully remove the remaining background pixels; remembering to experiment with the brush size, (Master Diameter), and the Tolerance. The Eraser Tool can be helpful; however, ensure you don’t erase parts of the church.
Tip
Keeping zooming out of your image, to check your progress at your images original size.
 
  
When you are satisfied that every stray background pixel has been removed, you are ready for the next step.
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From the Layers palette, highlight, then right-click the Colour Fill 1 layer.
Then from the drop-down list, click Delete Layer.
Congratulations, you have cleanly removed the background, and your photo object can now be placed on any coloured - or patterned, background, and appear seamless. You are now ready for the finals steps.
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You can either, activate the Move Tool, and drag your object (the church) onto a second photograph - adjusting the lighting as required.
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Alternatively, my lesson Here, explains how to fill a transparent background, with a Solid Colour, Gradient or Pattern. Additionally, my lesson Here, explains how to optimise and save images.
Tip
Save your image with a transparent background (as a .psd file) - explained here!
Wendi E. M. Scarth. Top of Page - Home.
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