How To Make a Background Transparent In Photoshop

This will work with most versions

If you want to know how to make a background transparent in Photoshop, you’ll need to follow a few different steps. Thankfully, the whole process is straightforward once you get to grips with the right tools. We’ll guide you through everything you need to know, from removing a background from an image, to saving it with a transparent background.

For this tutorial, we’ll be using Adobe Photoshop CC, but you’ll be able to follow these steps with most versions of Photoshop.

How To Remove a Background From an Image in Photoshop

Before we can make a background transparent in Photoshop, we’ll need to remove the existing background. If you have already done this, you can skip this step and follow the guide in the next section instead.

It’s well worth learning this step though, so you might want to read it anyway to learn more about how to use Photoshop.

For this guide, we’ll be using a free stock photo onPexels. Follow the steps with your own image to remove the background.

Whilst the Quick Selection Tool does a great job at highlighting edges, it’s not perfect. You’ll need to adjust your selection a little.

Below are some controls that can help you to refine your edges.

To get the best cut, you should zoom in as close as possible and adjust the brush size. For smaller areas, you should click instead of dragging.

How To Save An Image With Transparent Background In Photoshop

Only certain file types support transparent backgrounds, so you’ll need to choose the right file when exporting your image in Photoshop. We would recommend using PNG – it’s a popular web format that can support transparent backgrounds, and it caneasily be compressedto save storage or online bandwidth.

When you upload this photo online, the background should remain transparent. Just note that some websites will not support transparent backgrounds. As an example, if you upload a Twitter profile image that’s transparent, a white background will automatically be added.

Summary

We hope that our guide on how to make a transparent background in Photoshop has helped you. If you get confused along the way, leave a comment below and we’ll reach out to offer some more help.

Ollie stumbled upon writing online whilst participating in a mobile network forum back in 2011. Since then, he has developed an incredible passion for writing about all sorts of tech from smartphones, PC hardware, software, and everything in between.Read Ollie’s Full Bio

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