Add a Black Background to a Picture

Photo editing is a helpful skill to learn for either business or personal application. Adding a black background to a picture you have already taken is 1 way to define the image in the foreground, whether it is your child's portrait, a product in need of marketing or a website photo. The most common way to edit any photo is to use Photoshop, an Adobe product that has been on the market since 1990, and it is available for both Windows and Macintosh operating systems. This article will teach you how to add a black background to a picture using Photoshop or free online editing websites.

Steps

  1. Open the image in Photoshop.
  2. Create a new layer. Rename the layer after the image you want to clarify. The other layer will be your background.
    • The Windows keyboard shortcut to create a new layer is to press Control (CTRL) and the letter "J" simultaneously.
    • The Macintosh (Mac) keyboard shortcut to create a new layer is to press Command and the letter "J" simultaneously.
  3. Select the "Paint Brush" tool from your Tools Palette. Select the color black in the foreground color box. Begin painting your background black with your paintbrush. You will have an option to fix parts of the image if you paint over them with your black paintbrush. Continue coloring until your have turned as much of the background black as you possibly can.
  4. Click the mask icon. It is a box with a white circle in it on the bottom of the Layers Palette. A mask box will appear in your top layer, the 1 you have named after your foreground image.
    • In the Layers Palette go to the drop down menu labeled "Opacity." Set it at a percentage where you can see through the image. For example, 50 or 60 percent.
    • Ensure the mask icon is still selected for your top layer. Zoom in closer to the object. Start painting the parts of the image that you have accidentally blackened; those image parts should reappear.
    • When you are going into high-detail, you will need to switch back and forth between the white and black boxes by clicking on the double arrow. Try this a few times. Black reveals more, while white conceals.
  5. Use a soft paintbrush setting if the image has uneven edges. Use a hard paintbrush setting if you want a very clean line.
  6. Switch your opacity back to normal from time to time to see how you are doing. Take your time painting the image. The more time you take with it, the better it will look.
  7. Another way to make a black background in Photoshop is to cut your image using your Pen or Lasso tools or extract filter. You would carefully use these tools to draw an outline around your image. Turn your background layer black using the foreground and background colors in your Tools Palette, then, with the Move Tool, drag the foreground image in front of your black background.
  8. Finished.

Tips

  • If you do not have Photoshop, there are a number of free online graphics editing programs. Search "online picture editing," in a search engine, to find some program options from which to choose. You can loosely follow the instructions above for the same results.

Warnings

  • Always duplicate your digital picture, in case you prefer the original. You can do this by simply copying it into a different folder, or choosing "duplicate" in your photography storage application.

Things You'll Need

  • A computer
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Digital picture with an image in the forefront

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Sources and Citations

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