how to use magic wand tool in photoshop background

How to use magic wand tool in photoshop background how to#

It works like a Brush so you can change the size of the tool by using the keys on your keyboard ( to make it larger). It has never been easier to make selections that don’t look like they were “cut and pasted.” There are two, or sometimes three steps.Ĭhoose the Quick Selection Tool from the Toolbox palette:

The Quick Select Tool has changed all that. In the past, you may have avoided most of the Selection Tools in Photoshop because they were not easy to use. In this situation you want to use the Quick Select Tool to remove your subjects from an image and place them on a different background. The secret of any image editing is to use the right tool for the job. In this demonstration, you can make this a stronger image by removing the cluttered background to make it less like a snapshot and more like a portrait. But with a relatively new selection tool it’s pretty straight forward, so this is a good example photo for learning the technique. In previous Photoshop versions, selection tools like Magic Wand and Lasso would get confused by the similar colors, and patterns of this type of background, making it a difficult and frustrating project. But it also has a busy background which typically causes problems for many photographers when trying to use Photoshop’s Selection Tools to remove it. It’s the last photo I have of my parents together. This photo (above) was a very spontaneous iPhone capture of my mom and dad, the photo itself isn’t great (lots of things wrong with it technically) but it has big sentimental value for me.

How to use magic wand tool in photoshop background how to#

Maybe you used your smartphone to capture a spontaneous moment and now the image needs a little background work? Maybe you want to cut your subjects out of the background to isolate them or use them on a website banner or other marketing material? Whatever the reason, this task has challenged every photographer, beginner or pro, since the invention of the camera! I’m going to show you how to use one of Photoshop’s most underrated tools for easily extracting your subjects from the background.

Perhaps, despite your best efforts at placing your subjects in a pleasing, non-distracting environment, the situation made it impossible. A quick capture of my parents at a coffee shop.