How to Use the Eraser Tool in Adobe Photoshop

The eraser tool in Adobe Photoshop works much like an eraser does on a sheet of paper. The eraser tool erases any area that you would like to be removed on an image. You can use brush, pencil or block shape as an eraser for your image. Use the eraser tool in Photoshop by following the steps below.

Things You'll Need

• Adobe Photoshop

Instructions

1. Open an image to use for practice using the eraser tool. Select the eraser tool from the Photoshop toolbar. This is the picture of the school eraser.

2. Change the brush size on the eraser options bar underneath the menus. The larger the number of brush size, the bigger your brush will be.

3. Choose a "Mode" of either "Brush," "Pencil" or "Block." The shape you select will be the shape that your eraser will use when erasing parts of your image.

4. Make any changes to the opacity or flow of the eraser tool. Decreasing the opacity of your brush will make your brush more transparent while increasing the opacity will make it less transparent. The higher the flow, the more paint that will be released. The lower the flow, the less paint that will be released when you click your mouse.

5. Select the "Erase to History" checkbox to store a history of the erasing that you make to your image.

6. Click or click and drag with your mouse to erase a pixel or section of your image.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have a background underneath your image, your background will remain when you erase the image.

• Quickly change the size of your brush by using the "[" key on your keyboard to increase the brush size and the "]" key on your keyboard to decrease the brush size.

• Press the letter "E" on your keyboard to quickly change to the eraser tool.