How To Make A Transparent Background In Photoshop Cs5

The Background Layer In Photoshop CS5

Earlier we brainstorm... This version of our Background Layer tutorial is for Photoshop CS5 and earlier. If you're using Photoshop CS6, please encounter our updated Background Layer tutorial. For Photoshop CC, see our Groundwork Layer in Photoshop CC tutorial.

In the previous tutorial, we learned the essential skills for working with layers inside Photoshop's Layers panel. We learned how to add together new layers, delete layers, move layers above and below each other, how to add aligning layers and layer styles, change a layer's blend way and transparency level, and much more, all from within the Layers panel!

But before nosotros become into more of the amazing things we can practice with layers, there'due south i special type of layer we need to look at, and that's the Background layer. The reason we need to learn about it is because there's a few things we can do with normal layers that we can't practise with the Groundwork layer, and if we're non aware of them ahead of time, they can easily lead to confusion and frustration.

Here's an image of a photo frame that I've just opened in Photoshop. The prototype is available from the Fotolia paradigm library:

The original paradigm.

Whenever nosotros open a new image in Photoshop, it opens inside its ain document and Photoshop places the image on its own layer named Background, every bit we can encounter by looking in my Layers panel. Find that the word Background is written in italics, which is Photoshop'southward way of telling us there's something special near this particular layer:

The Layers panel showing the image on the Background layer.

Photoshop names this layer Background for the simple reason that it serves as the background for our document. Whatever additional layers nosotros add to the document will announced above the Background layer. Since its whole purpose is to serve as a background, at that place's a few things Photoshop won't let us to exercise with information technology. Let'south take a quick await at these few simple rules we need to recall. And then, at the terminate of the tutorial, we'll learn an easy way to get effectually every single one of them!

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Rule i: We Can't Move The Contents Of A Groundwork Layer

One of the things we tin can't do with a Background layer is move its contents. Ordinarily, to move the contents of a layer, we grab the Move Tool from the top of the Tools console:

Selecting the Movement Tool from the Tools panel.

Then nosotros merely click with the Motion Tool inside the certificate and elevate the contents around with our mouse. Watch what happens, though, when I endeavor to elevate the photo frame to a unlike location. Photoshop pops open a dialog box telling me information technology can't motion the contents because the layer is locked:

Instead of moving the photo frame, Photoshop informs me that the layer is locked.

If we expect again at the Groundwork layer in my Layers panel, we tin encounter a small lock icon, letting united states of america know that certain plenty, this layer is locked in place and we tin can't motion it. In that location's no way to unlock a Groundwork layer, but every bit I said, at the end of the tutorial, we'll see how to get around this little dominion of non being able to move its contents, also equally how to get around the other rules we're near to await at:

The lock icon lets u.s.a. know that some attribute of this layer is locked.

Rule 2: No Transparent Pixels

In a moment, I'm going to import another image into my document and identify it inside my photo frame, just the center of the frame is currently filled with white, which ways I need to delete that white area before I can place my photo within of it. Normally, when nosotros delete pixels on a layer, the deleted surface area becomes transparent, allowing us to run into through information technology to the layer(southward) below. Allow'due south see what happens, though, when I try to delete something on the Groundwork layer.

First, I demand to select the area inside the frame, and since it'due south filled with solid white, I'll use the Magic Wand Tool. In Photoshop CS2 and earlier, we can select the Magic Wand just past clicking on its icon in the Tools panel. In Photoshop CS3 and college (I'grand using Photoshop CS5 hither), the Magic Wand is hiding behind the Quick Selection Tool, so click on the Quick Selection Tool and agree your mouse push button down for a 2nd or 2 until a fly-out carte appears showing the other tool(s) nested behind it, and so select the Magic Wand Tool from the list:

Selecting the Magic Wand Tool.

With the Magic Wand Tool in hand, I'll click anywhere inside the center of the frame to instantly select the entire white area. A selection outline appears around the edges letting me know the surface area is selected:

The white area inside the frame is now selected.

To delete the surface area inside the frame, I'll press Backspace (Win) / Delete (Mac) on my keyboard, only instead of deleting the area and replacing it with transparency every bit nosotros'd wait on a normal layer, Photoshop mysteriously pops open the Fill dialog box then I can cull a dissimilar color to fill up the area with:

Instead of deleting the area, Photoshop pops open the Fill dialog box.

I'll click Cancel to close out of the Fill dialog box since that wasn't at all what I wanted to do. What I wanted to exercise was delete the white surface area within the frame, not fill it with a different color. Maybe Photoshop but got dislocated, so I'll effort something different. I'll get upwards to the Edit carte in the Card Bar along the acme of the screen and choose Cutting:

Selecting Cutting from the Edit carte.

On a normal layer, this would cut the selected area from the layer, leaving a transparent expanse in its place, yet once over again, we go an unexpected result. This fourth dimension, as if its purposely messing with me, Photoshop fills the area with black:

The white area inside the frame is now filled with black.

Say what? Where did the black come up from? As it turns out, Photoshop filled the area with black because if nosotros expect at my Foreground and Background color swatches near the bottom of the Tools panel, we see that my Background color (the lower right swatch) is currently set to black, and Photoshop filled the area with the Background color. If my Background color had been set to regal, information technology would accept filled the area with purple. It just happened to be set to black:

The Foreground (upper left) and Background (lower right) color swatches.

So why won't Photoshop delete the white area inside the frame? Why does it continue wanting to fill it with a different color instead? The reason is because Background layers don't support transparency. After all, since the Background layer is supposed to be the background of the certificate, in that location shouldn't be any need to come across through it because there shouldn't exist anything backside information technology to run into. The background is, after all, the background! No matter how I try, I will never exist able to delete the area inside the center of the frame every bit long as the image remains on the Groundwork layer. How, then, will I be able to display another photo inside the frame? Allow'due south exit this trouble lonely for the time being. We'll come up back to information technology a chip later.

Rule 3: We Tin't Motility The Groundwork Layer Above Another Layer

Here'south the photo I want to place inside my photograph frame. This image is also available from the Fotolia image library:

The image that volition be placed inside the frame.

The paradigm is currently open up inside its own certificate window, so I'll quickly copy it into the photo frame'south document by pressing Ctrl+A (Win) / Command+A (Mac) to select the entire photo, then I'll printing Ctrl+C (Win) / Control+C (Mac) to copy the epitome to the clipboard. I'll switch over to the photograph frame's document, then I'll press Ctrl+5 (Win) / Command+5 (Mac) to paste the image into the document. Photoshop places the paradigm on a new layer named "Layer 1" above the photo frame on the Background layer:

The 2nd photo is placed on its own layer above the Background layer.

And nosotros tin see the new photograph appearing in front end of the frame in the document window:

The 2nd paradigm appears in front end of the photo frame.

In social club for my 2nd photo to appear within the frame, I demand to rearrange the lodge of the layers in the Layers panel so that the frame appears higher up the photo. Normally, moving i layer above another is as easy as clicking on the layer we need to move and dragging information technology above the other layer, but that'southward not the example when the layer we need to move is the Groundwork layer. When I click on the Background layer and try dragging information technology to a higher place the photo on Layer one, Photoshop displays a circle icon with a diagonal line through information technology (the international "non gonna happen" symbol), letting me know that for some reason, it's not going to let me do it:

The circle with the diagonal line through it tells me I can't elevate the Background layer higher up Layer 1.

The reason it won't let me elevate the Background layer above Layer 1 is because the Groundwork layer must e'er remain the background of the document. Photoshop won't allow united states to motion information technology higher up whatsoever other layers.

Rule 4: We Can't Move Other Layers Below The Groundwork Layer

Okay, so we tin't movement the Background layer above another layer. What if nosotros try moving another layer beneath the Background layer? I'll click on Layer i and effort to drag information technology below the Background layer, simply this doesn't piece of work either. I get the same niggling ghostbusters symbol telling me that Photoshop won't permit me do it:

The aforementioned "not gonna happen" icon appears when trying to drag Layer 1 below the Background layer.

Again, the reason is considering the Background layer must always remain the background of the document. Nosotros tin't elevate it to a higher place other layers and we can't elevate other layers below information technology.

The Like shooting fish in a barrel Solution

Let's speedily recap. We've learned that Photoshop won't let us move the contents of the Background layer with the Move Tool because the layer is locked in place. Nosotros learned that the Background layer doesn't back up transparency, so there'south no way to delete anything on the layer. And we learned that the Background layer must e'er remain the bottom layer in the Layers panel. Nosotros can't elevate it above other layers, and nosotros tin can't drag other layers below information technology.

Since the Groundwork layer's whole purpose in life is to be the background of the document, each of these rules makes sense. However every bit with most rules, there's ways effectually them for times when we demand to break them. In this case, there's an easy way around all of them at once! All we demand to practise is rename the Background layer to something other than Background! To rename the Background layer, you could become up to the Layer carte at the top of the screen, choose New, and then choose Layer From Groundwork:

Go to Layer > New > Layer From Background.

A faster fashion, though, is to simply double-click directly on the give-and-take Background in the Layers panel:

Double-click straight on the Background layer's name.

Either way opens the New Layer dialog box where we can enter a new proper name for the layer. The default name of "Layer 0" works fine. Any proper name other than Background will work, so unless you have something specific you want to name the layer, just click OK to have Layer 0 equally the new name and close out of the dialog box:

You tin take Layer 0 as the new proper name for the layer or enter a different proper name if you adopt.

TIP: For an even faster way to rename the Background layer, simply hold downwards your Alt (Win) / Option (Mac) key and double-click on the discussion Background. Photoshop will instantly rename the layer "Layer 0", bypassing the New Layer dialog box completely.

We can now encounter that the name of the Background layer has been inverse to Layer 0:

The Groundwork layer has been renamed Layer 0.

And but past renaming it, we've converted the Background layer into a normal layer, which ways we're no longer leap by any of the rules we just looked at! Nosotros can move the contents of the layer with the Move Tool, nosotros can delete anything on the layer and replace it with transparency, and we can freely move the layer higher up or below other layers!

For example, I still need to move my photo frame above the image on Layer 1. Now that the frame is no longer on the Groundwork layer, it's easy! I tin only click on Layer 0 in the Layers panel and drag it upward until a thin highlight bar appears above Layer 1:

Dragging Layer 0 to a higher place Layer i.

I'll release my mouse button, and Photoshop drops Layer 0 above Layer 1, exactly as I needed:

Layer 0 now appears in a higher place Layer i, which would not have been possible while Layer 0 was still the Background layer.

We saw earlier that I was unable to delete the white area within the frame while the image was on the Background layer, simply now that I've renamed it to Layer 0, it's no longer a trouble. I'll click inside the area with the Magic Wand Tool to instantly select it, only as I did before:

The white area within the frame is once once again selected.

Then, I'll press Backspace (Win) / Delete (Mac) on my keyboard, and this time, instead of beingness greeted by the Make full dialog box, Photoshop actually does what I expected, deleting the surface area from the layer and revealing the photo backside information technology:

The area inside the frame has finally been deleted, revealing the photo underneath.

I'll printing Ctrl+D (Win) / Command+D (Mac) on my keyboard to deselect the area inside the frame and remove the selection outline. Then, just to chop-chop finish things off, I'll click on Layer 1 in the Layers panel to select it and arrive the agile layer:

Selecting Layer 1.

I'll grab the Move Tool from the Tools panel, click on the photo and drag it into position within the frame. Even though Layer 1 is at present the bottom layer in the certificate, it's not an actual Background layer so it'due south not locked in identify. I'm gratis to motion it anywhere I desire:

Dragging the photo into position inside the frame.

As we've seen, Groundwork layers are special types of layers in Photoshop with certain limitations placed on them. We tin't move their contents, we can't delete anything on them, and they always have to remain the lesser layer in the document. In almost cases, these limitations are of little business organisation to the states because nosotros more often than not don't work directly on the Background layer anyway. But if you do need to override them, simply rename the Background layer to annihilation other than Background, which volition instantly convert it to a normal layer, and you're practiced to go!

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