search
< Back to blog
Photo Studio Tutorials

3 tips for better background erasing

Are you having difficulty removing a background? Some photos are trickier to cut out than others but don’t worry, here are some easy tips that can help you get a better result.

Before/after background removal

Tip 1 – Change view mode when cutting out

In Photo Studio, when you remove areas from a photo they are replaced by a “checkerboard” background by default. However, you can also choose a color background view.

Using a color background makes it easier to see which areas still need removing, and which areas have been removed by accident.

Preview of cut-out in color view

How to get a color background

  1. Click the small triangle next to the View mode of removed areas icon in the top toolbar. View mode icon
  2. In the dropdown menu select On color background. This adds a color background to the preview area of your picture.
  3. To change the color of the background, click the color sample to open the palette.

Tip 2 – Use a smaller brush and zoom in

The best way to deal with more complex photos is to work in small sections. Try zooming in and reducing brush size to mark precise areas of your photo.

  1. Zoom in using CTRL Z, or your mouse wheel. Alternatively, use the zoom options at the top of the right-hand panel. Zoom in navigator
  2. Adjust brush size using the slider in the right-hand panel, underneath the cut-out markers. Brush size slider

Tip 3 – Use edge smoothing on difficult edges

If your photo has unclear edges, such as hair, increase Edge smoothing to feather them.

Photo with low feathering vs high feathering

  • Select the Edge enhancement tab in the right-hand panel.
  • Move the Edge smoothing slider to the right to increase feathering.Edge smoothing sliderYou can also use the Edge to improve tool in the Manual Improvement menu to highlight tricky edges individually and get more detail. Manual improvement options

Find out more with this video:

Join us!

To learn more quickly and for lots more tips and tutorials, join our Facebook group!

close