Quick Tip: How To Remove Background From Scanned Image with Photoshop

Quick Tip: How To Remove Background From Scanned Image with Photoshop

In this tutorial, you will learn how to quickly remove background from scanned image or white areas around your scanned paper drawings. It works for watercolor paintings, sketches, ink drawings and handwritten text alike.

freebie banner

Here’s the final look after you remove background from scanned image:

Tutorial-remove-backgrounds-result

Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate

Completion time: ~10 minutes

Tools: Adobe Photoshop CS3 or newer

Step by step guide to remove background from scanned image using Photoshop:

STEP 1: Open the file

Open up Adobe Photoshop, then open your scanned image.

To do this, go to File -> Open and select your file, or simply drag-and-drop the image into Photoshop.

For this tutorial, we will use this scan of a beautiful watercolor painting, created by our talented colleague Andreea.

how to remove background from scanned image- tutorial step 1

STEP 2: Adjust brightness

In the Layers panel (F7), click the eclipse icon and select the “Brightness/Contrast” adjustment layer.

remove paper background Photoshop - tutorial step 2

Check out these Free Gold Backgrounds

STEP 3: New layer

Now you should see a new layer, named “Brightness/Contrast 1”. Double-click its layer thumbnail. A new window will now pop up, with two sliders.

remove paper background Photoshop - tutorial step 3

STEP 4: Adjust contrast

Push the Brightness a bit (2 to 4) and pump up the contrast to preserve most of the colors.

The idea is to make the paper as white as we can, so we can filter it out later.

STEP 4

STEP 5: Adjust curves

Click the same eclipse icon and select “Curves”.

At the moment, it does nothing, because the default values do not modify the image. Yet.

photoshop scanned document white background

STEP 6: Open settings panel

Double-click its layer thumbnail to open its settings panel.

how to remove white background in photoshop
STEP 6.2

STEP 7: Adjust highlights

Adjust the curve as below.

The top right corner will pump up the highlights while the curve’s “belly” pumps up the colors a bit more.

guidance image

STEP 8: Flatten the layer

With the “Curves 1” layer selected, press CTRL+ALT+Shift+E. It will now flatten the image and paste the result on a new layer. Rename this layer to “flatten”.

how to remove background from scanned image - step 8

Check out these Free Sparkly Backgrounds

STEP 9: Make layers invisible

Click the “eyes” near the adjustment layers’ thumbnails to make them invisible. We don’t need them anymore.

guidance image

STEP 10: Adjust solid color by layer

Click the eclipse again and select “Solid Color”. It will create a new layer named “Color Fill 1”. Hit CTRL+Shift+[ to send it to back.
For now, the layer it’s not visible because it is placed under the “flatten” layer.

When prompted to select a color, just pick a dark gray. It doesn’t matter much, this layer serves only as a visual guide.

how to remove background from scanned image - step 10

STEP 11: Open Layer Style panel

In the Layers panel, select the “flatten” layer and double-click near the layer thumbnail. This action will open the Layer Style panel.

how to remove background from scanned image -step 11
guidance image

STEP 12: Make the background disappear

Hold the ALT key and click-drag half of the white arrow to the left, until you see the background disappearing. Click OK. If you get any white edges on your drawing, you can slide the left half of the arrow just a bit to the left.

guidance image

STEP 13: Create new layer and merge them

Create a new layer (CTRL+Shift+N), hold Shift and select the “flatten” layer as well, then go to Layer -> Merge Layers (CTRL+E).

how to remove background from scanned image - step 13
pixel77-tutorial-remove-backgrounds-image-14-1

Check out 20 Best Free Marble Backgrounds

STEP 14: Use Polygonal Lasso Tool

Grab the Polygonal Lasso Tool (L) and roughly select the drawing. Once you close in the shape, you will see a “marching ants” effect on its contour.

how to remove background from scanned image - step 14

STEP 15: Copy and paste layers

Hit CTRL+C to copy it.

Now go to File -> New… and hit OK. It will create a new document with the size of the copied selection from our layer.

Then, paste it in (CTRL+V).

how to remove background from scanned image - step 15
how to remove background from scanned image - step 15.2
how to remove background from scanned image - step 15.3

STEP 16: Fill the layer with background color

Press D to reset the foreground and background colors.

Select the “Background” layer and press ALT+Backspace. This action will fill the entire layer with the current foreground color.

To fill the layer with the background color, press CTRL+Backspace.

how to remove background from scanned image- step 16

STEP 17: Clean the remaining dots

Select the “Layer 1” layer.
Now grab the Eraser Tool (E) and clean up any remaining white dots. You can now see them clearly, because the background is black.

how to remove background from scanned image- step 17

STEP 18: Make the layer invisible

Click the “eye” near the “Background” layer to make it invisible.

how to get rid of white background on image

Check out 3500+ High Resolution Backgrounds

STEP 19: How to remove background from scanned image Export the file

Go to File -> Export -> Save for Web (Legacy) (CTRL+ALT+Shift+S).

Learn to press them with one hand, this command is really useful and you will use it a lot.

step by step guide
how to get rid of white background on image
Final image

The watercolor image is now ready to be used, without the background. Hope this step by step guide will help you to know how to get rid of white background on image.

I hope you’ve learned something new today, and if you did, drop a like or let us know in the comments section, or share this article with someone who needs it.

Like this post? Check out more inspirational and helpful articles on Graphic Design.

25 Comments on “Quick Tip: How To Remove Background From Scanned Image with Photoshop

  1. Very helpful, but one question. How ist it possible to remove the white background but not the white parts inside the picture, because I dont want have any transparent parts in the drawing.
    Any ideas?

  2. I accidentally started drawing on a white layer so this was very helpful for me! thank you sm

  3. Wow, What an excellent post. I actually found this for many informatics. That’s what I’m looking for. Affirmation is the best article.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *