A lot of assets and overlays will come with a black background on it. This is usually done because the format of the image doesn’t support transparent backgrounds. This poses a problem however when we actually want to use that asset in our productions in Photoshop. Today I am going to go over how to remove a black background in Photoshop CC.
How to Remove a Black Background in Adobe Photoshop CC
Set up the Effect
- Import the background image to a new Photoshop layer.
- Import the asset layer into the Photoshop project.
- Click on the top layer. Right click, and go up to Duplicate Layer.
- Go to adjustment layers and look for Black and White. Click and apply it.
- Now go to the adjustment layers again and look for Curves.
- Go to the top right of the curves and grab that box.
- Now you can move it back and forth to get the thickness of the transparency you want.
- Select the two layers and right click. Go down to Merge Layers.
Cut Out the Background
- Make sure you have the top layer clicked. Go up to Select->All.
- Hit ctrl/cmd + c to copy.
- Go to the second layer and click on it.
- Click on the mask layer option.
- With the new mask layer created. Hit cmd/alt key and click on the white mask layer box.
- Click on the main preview and hit cmd/ctrl + v to paste.
- Now hide the top layer, and you will see your finished effect.
That’s the effect. A lot of keyboard shortcuts in there. However, once you get it down, you can quickly remove the black background of any asset quickly. Remember that mutliple assets are usually needed to make a final product. Don’t just use one. Find others and blend them all together to create a realistic scene.
If you have any questions or comments, leave them below or on the video itself!
