How to Create Silhouette Backgrounds in Photoshop
Silhouettes take advantage of exposure settings in cameras to create the appearance of a dark, shadowy subject in front of a lit background. Photographers achieve this technique by metering for the background and underexposing the foreground. However, you do not have to be familiar with camera settings in order to create a silhouette with Photoshop. Adobe's graphics design and photo manipulation program can be used to create a silhouette background out of any image. The technique can be used to create a silhouette in an existing image or to superimpose a silhouette over a different background.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Open the image file from which you want to make a silhouette in Photoshop by clicking on the "File" menu and selecting "Open." Navigate to the image file in the explorer window, highlight it and click "Open."
-
2
Select the "Magnetic Lasso" tool and trace a selection around your subject. The magnetic lasso will automatically detect the edge of your subject by looking for high-contrast areas and will assist you in tracing a clean line around your subject.
-
-
3
Create a new layer by clicking the "Create a new layer" button in the layer pane.
-
4
Select black as your foreground color by choosing it from your color palette or by using the shortcut keys "Ctrl" and "D" on a PC or "Command" and "D" on Mac OS X.
-
5
Click on the "Paint bucket" tool and click inside your selection to fill the selection with black. If you want to keep the current background for your silhouette, save your new image. Otherwise, continue to the next steps.
-
6
Copy the silhouette by opening the "Edit" menu and clicking on "Copy." You can also use the shortcut key "Ctrl" and "C" on a PC or "Command" and "C" on Mac OS X.
-
7
Open the image file containing the background onto which you want to paste your silhouette.
-
8
Paste the silhouette onto the new background by opening the "Edit" menu and selecting "Paste." You can also use the shortcut key "Ctrl" and "V" on a PC or "Command" and "V" on Mac OS X.
-
9
Save your new silhouette background by opening the "File" menu and choosing "Save." Enter your file name and choose the image type you would like to use. A JPG file is a good choice for a photograph.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Use the "Layer Blending Mode" options to create an outer glow around your silhouette that matches the color of the background light for an even more realistic silhouette effect.
If you decide to leave your silhouette on its original background, do not overwrite your original image file when you are saving. If you overwrite the file, there will be no way to recover your image that existed before adding the silhouette effect.
