How to Photoshop a Transparent Background With Alpha Channel
Separating the background from an image in Photoshop is a common task that you can accomplish in a multitude of ways. However, using an "Alpha channel" offers more flexibility for editing and controlling selections. When you save a selection, Photoshop stores it as a new grayscale "Alpha channel." Painting with white in the "Alpha channel" will increase the size of your selection, but painting with black will decrease it. You can access "Alpha channels" and edit them at any time, so your selection is always accessible.
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Instructions
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Choose a selection tool from the "Tools" menu. Draw a selection around the subject of your photo using the "Lasso" or "Magnetic Lasso" tools. Use the "Magic Wand" tool for images with background colors that differ from the subject.
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Select the background using the tool. Your initial selection does not need to be precise since you will refine it later.
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Go to "Select" and "Save Selection." Save the selection to a new channel, enter a name for the selection and then click "OK."
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Click the "Channels" panel. Normally, you will find the "Channels" panel grouped with the "Layers" panel. If it is not visible, go to "Window" and choose "Channels."
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Go to "Select," "Deselect" or press "Ctrl" and "D" to deselect the image.
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Click directly on the new channel you created in the "Channels" panel. Photoshop will hide the other color channels, and you will see the area you selected displayed as white on black.
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Select the "Paintbrush" from the "Tools" panel. In the "Options" bar, pick a brush tip and size. Choose a soft, round brush to avoid harsh edges when you remove the background.
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Click the default colors icon near the color swatches in the "Tools" panels or press the "D" key.
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Paint over any obvious flaws in the selection by using white or black. Remember, adding white increases the selection size, so the majority of your background should be black.
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Click the "eye" icon next to the top channel. This channel will be designated "RGB" or "CMYK" depending on the image's mode. You will now see the image with a red mask overlaying the unselected areas.
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Choose to paint with black or white, then click and drag with the paintbrush along the edges of your photo's subject. Refine the edges of the selection with a smaller brush if necessary. Press "X" on the keyboard to alternate between black and white while you're painting.
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Click in the middle of the top channel to make all the main color channels active; you will see them designated in blue. The "Alpha channel" mask will still be visible, but you can hide it by clicking the "eye" icon next to the channel.
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Press the "Ctrl" key and click the "Alpha channel" thumbnail to load the selection. You should see the selection edges around your image's subject.
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Go to the "Layers" panel and click the "Background" layer to en1sure it is active.
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Press "Ctrl" and "C" to copy the selection. Then press "Ctrl" and "V" to paste the contents of the selection into a new layer.
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Click the "eye" icon to next to the "Background" layer to hide it and view the subject of your image on a transparent background.
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References
- Photo Credit Thinkstock/Comstock/Getty Images
