How to Use the Magic Eraser in Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop® offers various methods to remove backgrounds and elements from an image but none work as easily as the Magic Eraser tool when the element is one solid color. Targeting similar-colored pixels, the Magic Eraser quickly removes them from one area or from the entire image.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Open an image with a solid-colored element or background that you want to remove. Copy the background image and work only on the copy, keeping the original unchanged. This is a step beginners often skip but it guarantees your original is safe should you decide you don’t like the changes.

2. Choose the Magic Eraser from Photoshop's toolbar. Notice the Options menu at the top of your screen when the Magic Eraser tool is active.

3. Pick Contiguous from the Options menu when you want the Magic Eraser to remove all the solid color within specified borders.

4. Click on a portion of your image. The color magically disappears from that area, revealing the layer beneath.

5. Adjust the Tolerance at the top of your screen if you are erasing a mostly-solid color that has some variations. You can uncheck Contiguous to erase all of the selected color in your image despite any borders.

Tips & Warnings

• Experiment with the Magic Eraser tool by changing the Tolerance and the Contiguous option.
• Try checking Sample All Layers in the Options menu to remove similar colors from each layer in your image.