Photoshop: How to remove and replace a background

Swap out a lackluster background to give new life to an image.

With the Magic Wand tool selected, click Select Subject — a tool that intelligently selects most of your subject. Adjust Magic Wand settings like Sample Size and Tolerance. Use modifier keys and click near the subject to refine your selection — press Shift to add to your selection, and Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) to tighten the selection around your subject.

Add a layer mask to hide the background.

With your subject isolated, you have unlimited choices for a new background — simply place a fresh background on the layer below your masked layer.

We selected the underlying layer and sampled an eye-catching color with the Eyedropper tool. Then, we made a large rectangular selection and used the Gradient tool to apply a gradient. We dragged in the direction of the arrow; experiment on your own to create different gradient looks.

Don’t discard the next image you come across with a blah background — just replace it and give your image a new life.