How to Change the Background Color of an Image

Hello and welcome to another great tutorial created by Ashley Chapman Designs, Ashley herself. Today I am focusing my attention on how to quickly and easily change the background color of an image by using some wonderful features available within Photoshop CS6. I know personally, that there are many times when a person needs to change the background color, perhaps you took the photo on a white background but now the color is distorted and off white/grey. Maybe you took the picture on a colored background and do not like it, no matter the reason for changing the background, I plan to make this tutorial as simple and as easy as can be. 

First Step- Open Photoshop CS6. If you do not have Photoshop CS6 you can try it FREEfor 30 days through www.adobe.com There is a trial version available; however, if you do like the program you have 2 options from there, pay the full price which honestly is expensive or pay $50 a month and get all adobe products available to use.

Step 2: Locate the File Button: (Note: file button is located at top left side of photoshop or PS for short). Click File & then Click Open  (Open the picture you want to change the background of.

Once you open your file by browsing your computer like you would any other time you will get a picture in Photoshop CS6 like this. 

The next step we will take is to locate a button on the left side tool bar menu.

Now Locate the Quick Selection Tool-see picture below. Your tools bar will not be popped out like mine as I popped mine out to give you a better, clear picture of what to click.

Okay, so how do I use the Quick Selection Tool?  The Quick Selection Tool will help you to select the area you want to keep as we will be working with a little easier method of changing a background.

Now, with your Quick Selection Tool selected put your curser on the image you want to keep, click and drag until the entire image is covered.

Oh No! It selected the entire image, now what??? Don’t panic yet there is an easy button to fix this problem takes a little time but it is easily workable.

Hold Down your Alt key on the keyboard and click on the background image that is not supposed to be kept. Only have the image you want kept selected. See picture below.

Now with the image you want to keep and not change (yet) we will need to locate a new button. Refine Edges… this is always located at the very top. See picture below for location of Refine Edges Button.

Now inside the window for Refine Edges you need to located 2 buttons that I want you toclick on.

1 st button: Smart Radius (make sure there is a check inside this button.

2 nd button: Decontaminate Colors (make sure there is a check inside this button)

Once you hit okay your image will look like this:

The final step to this tutorial is to tell PS you want a background to it. This will be accomplished by clicking on the Create New Fill at the very right hand bottom of the screen below the color swatches and layers.

The Create New Fill is the circle button in the very middle. 

Once you locate this button go ahead and click on it. Once you click on it scroll all the way up to the Solid Color. 

Click on Solid Color.

Now choose the color you want for your new background. 

When you click okay it will not show your image Do Not Worry. We have to rearrange the layers to make it show but this is really the fastest way to get a new background perfectly.

Oh No! My Image is not viewable now.

The layers are located on the right hand side below the color swatches. See picture below for details

Now this part is fairly easy and you really cannot get it wrong. The very top layer says Color Fill 1 directly below it says Background Copy

Last and Final Step:

Click and Drag on the Color Fill 1 Layer to directly below the Background Copy Layer. Let Go and Your Image Is Back!

If you notice the layers now on the right hand side I have moved the Color Fill 1 Layer to directly below the Background Copy Layer and now my image is back and with the background I chose.

It is as easy as that. If you have difficulties, would like a copy of this tutorial to save please comment below and I will e-mail you a PDF File containing this tutorial.


Ashley Chapman Designs Thanks you very much for Tuning in to this tutorial.

Have a Wonderful Day!