Select Subject in Photoshop and Remove the Background
Photoshop’s Select Subject feature makes isolating people and objects fast and accurate. In this tutorial, you’ll run Select Subject, refine if needed, and remove the background using a mask. You’ll finish with a clean cutout you can use anywhere.
Step-by-step instructions
Open your image
Go to File → Open and choose your photo.
In the Layers panel, make sure your image layer is selected.
Run Select Subject
Choose the Magic Wand Tool (or any selection tool) to reveal selection options in the top bar.
Click Select Subject in the options bar (or go to Select → Subject). Photoshop will auto-select your main subject.
Refine the selection (optional)
Go to Select → Select and Mask.
Adjust edges as needed (e.g., Refine Edge Brush, Global Refinements), then set Output To → Selection and click OK.
Unlock the layer and add a mask
In the Layers panel, click the padlock icon on the Background layer to unlock it.
Click Add Layer Mask (rectangle with a circle) to mask out the background using the selection.
Save your cutout
Go to File → Save As to save your PSD, or File → Export → Export As to save a PNG with transparency.
