Erase in Photoshop: Use Eraser, Background Eraser, and Magic Eraser
Photoshop includes three Eraser variants for different jobs: the basic Eraser, Background Eraser, and Magic Eraser. You’ll see how each one works, when to choose it, and how to dial in settings for clean results. Use these tools to quickly remove backgrounds or refine small leftover areas.
Step-by-step instructions
Use the basic Eraser Tool for simple cleanup
Select the Eraser Tool (E).
Set Brush size and Hardness in the Options bar.
Set your Background color (click the color swatch at the bottom of the toolbar).
Drag over areas to erase. On a Background layer, erased areas fill with the Background color; on a regular layer, they become transparent.
Remove backgrounds with the Background Eraser Tool
Click and hold the Eraser Tool to reveal Background Eraser Tool; select it.
In the Options bar, choose Sampling: Continuous, Limits: Find Edges (good for subjects), Tolerance around 25–50%.
Resize the brush to fit edges and paint along the background near the subject to erase to transparency.
Adjust Tolerance higher for varied backgrounds; lower it to protect subject colors.
Quickly knock out large flat areas with Magic Eraser
Select the Magic Eraser Tool (under the Eraser flyout).
Set Tolerance (start around 20–30) and check Contiguous if you only want adjacent pixels removed.
Click on a background area to erase similar colors instantly.
Undo (Ctrl/Cmd+Z) and adjust Tolerance if it removes part of the subject.
Clean tricky leftover regions
Zoom in around fine details (hair, gaps, intricate edges).
Use the Background Eraser with a smaller brush to carefully erase remaining bits.
Change brush size quickly with bracket keys [ and ].
Pan around and refine until edges look clean.
Tip: Preserve flexibility when erasing
Convert the Background to a regular layer (Layer → New → Layer from Background…) to get transparency.
For a fully non-destructive approach, add a Layer Mask and paint with black to hide pixels instead of permanently erasing.
