Create Smooth Seamless Backdrops in Photoshop [Fast & Easy]
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- 0:00 Introduction
- 0:12 METHOD 1: Removing Distracting Elements
- 0:21 Make a Selection Using the Lasso Tool
- 0:54 Fill the Selection with Content-Aware Fill
- 1:31 Method 1 Result
- 2:03 METHOD 2: Recreating the Backdrop from Scratch
- 2:08 Select the Backdrop Color Using the Eyedropper Tool
- 2:23 Recreate Backdrop with Gradient Fill
- 4:41 Select Your Subject Using Quick Selection Tool or Object Selection Tool
- 5:40 Refine the Selection Using the Quick Mask Mode
- 7:38 Select Shadows Using Load Luminosity and Invert Selection
- 8:10 Create Color Fill Layer
- 8:29 Make a Selection Using the Lasso Tool
- 9:17 Adjust the Shadow with Curves Adjustment
- 9:30 Refine the Shadow
- 11:00 Layering Tips
- 11:43 Finishing Touches Using Grain Effect as a Layer Style
- 13:35 Advantages of Individual Layers
Your choices stick across every tutorial on this device.
Seamless backdrops in Photoshop hide anything that distracts from your subject, whether you erase a few objects or rebuild the whole background from scratch.
Method 1 erases a few small distractions with the Lasso Tool and Content-Aware Fill.
Method 2 rebuilds the entire backdrop from scratch with a Gradient Fill layer, for photos where Method 1 cannot fully fix the background.
Key Takeaways
- Content-Aware Fill can erase a small distraction and rebuild the area behind it in one step, as long as the background is simple.
- A Gradient Fill adjustment layer can recreate an entire backdrop from a single sampled color when Content-Aware Fill leaves blotches.
- The Object Selection Tool finds a subject automatically, which is faster than dragging with the older Quick Selection Tool.
- Quick Mask mode turns a selection into a red overlay you can paint on, which makes it much easier to spot missed edges.
- A shadow needs its own layer, built from an inverted Load Luminosity selection, so you can control its color and blur separately from the subject.
- A faint Pattern Overlay of film grain, added as a layer style, keeps a recreated backdrop from looking too smooth and fake.
Table of contents
- What You Will Learn
- Requirements
- Seamless Backdrops in Photoshop: Keyboard Shortcuts
- Method 1: Removing Distracting Elements in 2 Easy Steps
- Step 01 – Make a Selection Using the Lasso Tool
- Step 02 – Fill the Selection with Content-Aware Fill
- Method 2: Recreating the Backdrop From Scratch in 10 Easy Steps
- Step 01 – Select the Backdrop Color Using the Eyedropper Tool
- Step 02 – Recreate the Backdrop with a Gradient Fill Layer
- Step 03 – Select The Main Subject
- Step 04 – Refine the Selection Using the Quick Mask Mode
- Step 05 – Select Shadows Using Load Luminosity and Invert Selection
- Step 06 – Create a Solid Color Fill Layer
- Step 07 – Make a Selection Using the Lasso Tool
- Step 08 – Adjust the Shadow with Curves Adjustment
- Step 09 – Refine the Shadow
- Step 10 – Finishing Touches Using Grain Effect as a Layer Style
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
- Related Links
What You Will Learn
- How to remove small distractions from a backdrop with the Lasso Tool and Content-Aware Fill
- How to build a brand new backdrop with a Gradient Fill adjustment layer
- How to select a subject with the Object Selection Tool and refine the edges in Quick Mask mode
- How to create and shape a realistic drop shadow with Load Luminosity and Curves
- How to add film grain to a backdrop with a Pattern Overlay layer style
Requirements
Before you start
- Photoshop 2023 (version 24.0 or later) or the current version
Seamless Backdrops in Photoshop: Keyboard Shortcuts
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Lasso Tool | L | L |
| Add to a selection | Shift | Shift |
| Deselect | Ctrl D | Command D |
| Eyedropper Tool | I | I |
| Move a layer up in the stack | Ctrl ] | Command ] |
| Toggle Quick Mask mode | Q | Q |
| Brush Tool | B | B |
| Decrease brush size | [ | [ |
| Increase brush size | ] | ] |
| Swap foreground and background color | X | X |
| Load Luminosity (select the brightest pixels) | Ctrl Alt 2 | Command Option 2 |
| Invert the selection | Shift Ctrl I | Shift Command I |
| View a layer mask alone | Alt Click | Option Click |
| Fill with the background color | Ctrl Backspace | Command Delete |
| Move a layer down in the stack | Ctrl [ | Command [ |
| Decrease brush hardness | Shift [ | Shift [ |
| Increase brush hardness | Shift ] | Shift ] |
Method 1: Removing Distracting Elements in 2 Easy Steps
Step 01 – Make a Selection Using the Lasso Tool
Enable the Lasso Tool from the toolbar or press L (Windows) or L (macOS). The Lasso Tool allows you to freehand a selection and trace around the object you want to select.
A loose selection works just fine. No need to be precise.
You can add to the active selection by pressing and holding Shift (Windows) or Shift (macOS) and dragging around the object you would like to add.
Step 02 – Fill the Selection with Content-Aware Fill
Go into the Edit menu and choose Content-Aware Fill.
From the Content-Aware Fill workspace, you can seamlessly fill the selected portions of your image with content sampled from other parts of the image.
The window on the left shows you the result, and the window on the right shows you the sampled areas in green.
Content-Aware Fill worked great since the background is fairly simple. It magically removed the lights and cable without having to adjust any of the controls on the right. However, in some cases, you may need to do so. Read the complete guide to Content-Aware Fill in Photoshop to learn what each control does.
The only thing left to do now is to change the Output to a New Layer to work nondestructively and you can press OK. Photoshop will then create a new layer and it will generate the pixels to cover the light stand.
Press CtrlD (Windows) or CommandD (macOS) to deselect.
Method 2: Recreating the Backdrop From Scratch in 10 Easy Steps
Sometimes removing objects will not give you the desired results. In certain cases, you will get better results by recreating the background from scratch.
To create a smooth, seamless backdrop in Photoshop, follow the steps below.
Step 01 – Select the Backdrop Color Using the Eyedropper Tool
Select the Eye Dropper tool from the Toolbar or press I (Windows) or I (macOS).
Click over the image to sample the backdrop. Make sure to choose a mid-tone color. Avoid shadows or highlights. The selected color will become your foreground color.
Step 02 – Recreate the Backdrop with a Gradient Fill Layer
Go into the New Adjustment Layer icon and choose Gradient Fill which will use the backdrop color we just sampled.
When you’re in the gradient fill window, you can drag the gradient to reposition it and change the angle.
Bring the scale down to 10% just so that you can see the line.
Rotate the angle to 95 degrees to match the original backdrop’s angle.
Being consistent with the original backdrop yields better results.
Next, double-click on the gradient to open the Gradient Editor.
Change the opacity of the top right swatch from 0 to 100% to reveal the entire Gradient Fill over the image.
Click on the bottom right swatch to sample it.
Then, click at the center to create a new swatch.
Now, you have 3 swatches on your Gradient Fill.
Adjust the colors to match the original backdrop to create the illusion of highlights, mid-tones, and shadows on your recreated backdrop.
Adjust the scale to something that looks realistic. In this case, about 25% works. Press OK.
This is our new background.
Unlock the original image and move the layer up in the layer stack.
Hold Ctrl] (Windows) or Command] (macOS) to move the layer up in the layer stack. The new backdrop layer is now at the bottom of the layer stack and behind the subject.
Step 03 – Select The Main Subject
We’re going to mask the subject out of the background, the man, and the chair he’s sitting on so we can reveal the new background underneath.
You can use the Quick Selection Tool to drag over an image and make a selection. For trickier edges like hair, the Select and Mask workspace can refine the selection further.
If you have the new version of Photoshop, there’s a much easier way.
You can use the Object Selection Tool and hover over an image.
Photoshop will highlight in blue what it thinks the main subject is, and you can select it.
In this case, you can hover over the man and click once to make a selection. Hold Shift (Windows) or Shift (macOS) and click again on the chair to add to the selection.
Step 04 – Refine the Selection Using the Quick Mask Mode
Here’s a nifty trick! Press Q (Windows) or Q (macOS) and you will enter Quick Mask mode.
The red overlay shows the areas of the image that are not selected. The pixels in their normal color are selected.
By zooming in, you can see parts of the chair that are not selected.
To add to the selection, use the Brush tool by pressing B (Windows) or B (macOS). You can paint with white to reveal, and black to conceal.
To reveal these parts of the chair, you can paint with white.
Tip: Resize your brush by tapping [ (Windows) or [ (macOS) to make it smaller or ] (Windows) or ] (macOS) to make it larger.
Tip: Create two points to make a straight line while painting over a selection. Click once, hold Shift (Windows) or Shift (macOS), and click again.
Photoshop will create a straight line between those two points.
You can tap X (Windows) or X (macOS) to swap the foreground and background color. This lets you switch quickly between painting with white to reveal, and black to conceal.
Do the same for any areas with intricate detail. Just reveal the original pixels from the background.
To bring back the active selection, press Q (Windows) or Q (macOS) again, and you can see the selection around the man and the chair he’s sitting on. With a selection active, click on the new Layer Mask icon to create a mask based on the selection.
Step 05 – Select Shadows Using Load Luminosity and Invert Selection
There was a shadow below and to the right of the chair, and we need to include it in our new backdrop. Hold Shift (Windows) or Shift (macOS) and click on the Layer Mask icon to disable the mask.
This is what this red X indicates so that you can see what that shadow looks like.
Another useful trick to select the shadow so that you can use it in a composite is to use Load Luminosity.
Press CtrlAlt2 (Windows) or CommandOption2 (macOS) to load the brightest pixels as a selection. Then invert the selection by pressing ShiftCtrlI (Windows) or ShiftCommandI (macOS).
Step 06 – Create a Solid Color Fill Layer
Now you probably can’t tell the difference. Go into the Solid Color Fill layer and select black. You can see that Photoshop indeed had those pixels selected.
Step 07 – Make a Selection Using the Lasso Tool
We don’t need the entire layer; we only need the shadow.
Use the Lasso Tool and make a selection around the shadow.
With the selection active, use the same ShiftCtrlI (Windows) or ShiftCommandI (macOS) shortcut to create a Solid Color Fill layer.
Next, hold Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) and click on the Layer Mask thumbnail to review the mask.
Then, fill the selection with black so that those pixels are hidden.
Currently, the background color is black. Press CtrlBackspace (Windows) or CommandDelete (macOS).
Now we have the shadow.
Step 08 – Adjust the Shadow with Curves Adjustment
You might notice the hard edges, and it doesn’t look like a shadow.
We can easily fix that by going into Image > Adjustment > Curves.
Darken those brighter pixels to make it look more like a shadow and press OK.
Refine the harsh edges by using the Brush Tool and paint them black.
Hold Shift (Windows) or Shift (macOS) and tap [ (Windows) or [ (macOS) or ] (Windows) or ] (macOS) to adjust the hardness.
It is important to keep a soft edge so that the shadow looks realistic.
Hold Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) and click on the layer mask thumbnail to reveal the pixels.
Ctrl[ (Windows) or Command[ (macOS) moves the selected layer down the layer stack.
Re-enable the mask on the layer that contains the Man, and now you have a realistic shadow!
Step 09 – Refine the Shadow
You can reduce the Opacity or double-click on the Layer thumbnail to change the color.
For example, you can select the color of the background and then make it a bit darker and press OK.
I would recommend changing the Blending Mode to multiply and then using the Opacity slider to control the intensity of the shadow.
Also, with the shadow layer mask active, you can go into Filter Blur, Gaussian Blur, and blur the shadow a bit.
Tip: For more ways to make a shadow sit naturally under a subject, see this guide to realistic shadows in Photoshop.
Step 10 – Finishing Touches Using Grain Effect as a Layer Style
Real photos have grain and adding a subtle amount of grain to your custom backdrop will make the image look more realistic.
You can use the Grain slider in Camera Raw to add grain.
But in this tutorial, I will show you an alternate technique.
Select the Background layer, go into the FX icon, and select Pattern Overlay.
From here, click Pattern Dropdown > Legacy Patterns and more > 2019 Patterns > Stone, and select the Sandstone pattern.
Then, change the Blend mode to Overlay, which will blend the highlights and shadows
and reduce the opacity.
You can make adjustments based on whatever you think works best for your image.
For this image, I used a low opacity of 2%. I recommend changing the scale in 25% increments. If the pattern is too big, reduce it down to 75%. Press OK when the result looks right.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use the Lasso Tool and Content-Aware Fill to erase small distractions from an existing backdrop. For a backdrop that needs more work, sample its color with the Eyedropper Tool and rebuild it with a Gradient Fill adjustment layer.
Select the object with the Lasso Tool, then go to Edit > Content-Aware Fill. Photoshop fills the selection with pixels sampled from the rest of the image, which works best on simple backgrounds.
Content-Aware Fill samples nearby pixels, so it struggles when the surrounding area has uneven lighting or texture. When that happens, recreating the backdrop from scratch with a Gradient Fill layer gives a cleaner result.
Sample the original backdrop’s color with the Eyedropper Tool first. Then match the gradient’s angle, and use several color swatches in the Gradient Editor to recreate its highlights and shadows.
Quick Mask mode shows your selection as a red overlay, so unselected areas stand out clearly. Paint with white to add to the selection and black to remove from it, then press Q (Windows) or Q (macOS) again to return to a normal selection.
Invert a Load Luminosity selection to isolate the dark pixels, then fill a new layer with black on just the shadow area. Soften the hard edge with the Brush Tool and a Gaussian Blur, and set the layer’s blend mode to Multiply.
No. Every tool used here, including Content-Aware Fill, Gradient Fill and the Object Selection Tool, has worked the same way since Photoshop 2023 (version 24.0) or later.
Add a subtle Pattern Overlay layer style using the Sandstone pattern at a low opacity. This adds a bit of grain, which mimics the texture of a real photograph.
Conclusion
Removing a few distractions with Content-Aware Fill or rebuilding the whole backdrop with a Gradient Fill layer both lead to the same result. Either way, you get a clean, seamless background that keeps the focus on your subject.
Neither method needs expensive studio gear. A drop shadow, a little grain, and a matched color are usually enough to sell the illusion.
Watch the full video above for every step, and comment on the video if you have a question.
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Next, learn how to change a background in Photoshop with more compositing techniques for matching light, color and perspective.
Related Links
Final Image
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![After: Create Smooth Seamless Backdrops in Photoshop [Fast & Easy]](https://photoshoptrainingchannel.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/After-Updated.png)
![Before: Create Smooth Seamless Backdrops in Photoshop [Fast & Easy]](https://photoshoptrainingchannel.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Before-Updated.png)
