When putting together graphic designs or editing photos, opaque backgrounds on images can be a hindrance - so knowing how to make the background transparent in Photoshop is a useful trick. Whether it's a plain white background, or you’ve been caught out with some fake grey and white squares, we’ll be covering all bases in this step-by-step guide.
Sometimes Adobe Photoshop can be a finicky software to get the hang of, so we’ve been sure to boil this down to basics so even those who are just starting out with the software can learn how to make an image background transparent in Photoshop.
Tools and requirements
- PC or Laptop
- Adobe Photoshop
Steps for how to make the background transparent in Photoshop
- Upload your image into Photoshop and then click Window and then check Layers if it doesn’t already have a tick next to it
- Rasterize the layer if required
- Open the properties panel, select Quick Actions, and then hit Remove Background
- Hide the background layer
- Save the image as a PNG to retain the transparency
Step by step guide on how to make the background transparent in Photoshop
1. Create a new file
To begin with start with a brand new file in Photoshop, you can do this by selecting File and then New.
2. Open your chosen image
Upload the image you want to remove the background from to Photoshop. You can do this by dragging and dropping it from your File Explorer into Photoshop.
3. Rasterize the layer (optional)
You may be required to Rasterize the layer based on what image type you have uploaded. Right-click on the layer in the layers window and then hit Rasterize Layer
4. Remove the background
In the properties tab, scroll down to the quick actions section and then hit Remove Background. You might have to confirm your action if you have something else selected. You can then hide the background layer if you need to. You can do this by pressing the Eye icon by the Background in the layers tab.
5. Export the image as a transparent PNG
Once done, export the image as a PNG to retain the background transparency. You can now place the image on top of other images without a background or use it for any other purpose.
Final thoughts on downloading TikTok videos without a watermark
And there you have it! These steps should work no matter what is going on in the background of your image, simple or complicated. Knowing how to make the background transparent in Photoshop is a handy trick for those who are editing photos, creating custom images, or even just putting together a meme for the work chat (we've all been there).
You might also like
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
