How to Fix a Photo's Background to Make It Clear

Create a clear background in your digital photos.

The term "fixing," when applied to photography, means altering a picture from its original state. This is a somewhat complex process when dealing with film --- when dealing with digital photography however, it's quite simple. There are numerous ways to fix a picture, one of which is to make its background transparent. Creating a clear background will allow you to superimpose the main part of the image onto the background. This can be done in a few simple steps using a popular photo editing software called Photoshop.

Things You'll Need

• Photoshop software

Instructions

1. Open your Photoshop software by double-clicking its desktop icon.

2. Click "File," followed by "Open" from the toolbar menu. A pop-up dialog box will open. Browse through your files to find the photograph that you want to fix. Double-click it to import it into Photoshop.

3. Click "Layers" from the toolbar menu, followed by "New," and then "Layer." Look in the "Layers" panel in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. There should be a new layer (named "Background") located above the layer of your main image. Click and drag this layer so that it sits below your main image.

4. Select the "Magic Wand" tool from your toolbox. Highlight the background, and then click "Delete." The background should now be a gray and white checkered pattern, while the subject(s) in your foreground remain in tact. This checkered background symbolizes transparency. Your photo background is now clear.

Tips & Warnings

• If you ever make a mistake during your editing process, simply hit "Ctrl" and "Z" at the same time on your keyboard to undo your last action.

References

• Media College: How to Create a Transparent Background in Photoshop