To add a background to a green screen image in Photoshop, you’ll need to learn how to use a few of the default tools available in the Toolbox.
If the background is not quite green or poorly lit, there are a few additional steps you will need to take. Feel free to try your hand at the example image below.
We’ll look at a simpler method first, but then you can try the second method for images that don’t have a perfect uniform green background.
How to add a background to a perfect green screen photo in Photoshop
In the first section, we’ll show you how to add your own background when the green screen is perfectly lit or using one shade of green. You can find good free green screen and background images online if you haven’t already.
- First find your image, right-click it and choose Open With> Adobe Photoshop.
- In Photoshop, right-click the layer below and then select Layer From Background
- When prompted, click OK. This will allow you to edit the image you just opened.
- Then click Select in the top bar and then click Color Range.
- If the image uses a perfect green screen, you should see the outline of the image in the window that appears. If you don’t see a clear outline, you can try the next step. We still advise you to try this step first, as it will help you learn important tools that you can use later.
- Then click on the greenest screen and the eyedropper tool will pick that color. Then click OK and the green screen area will be highlighted.
- There are now two more steps to follow to make sure your image does not have a green outline. Click Select, and then click Edit> Expand. Select a 2px extension and click OK.
- Then click Select, then Select and Mask. In the new window that appears on the left, set the feather size to 1 pixel.
- Click the Output Options drop-down menu and make sure it is set to Output To: Selection. Then click OK.
- Press “Delete” on your keyboard and the green screen will disappear.
The next step is to create the background image you want to use. You can use your own background or anything online. If it’s for commercial purposes, read our Creative Commons guide to help you find suitable images for free commercial use.
Once you have the image, find it on your computer, click and drag into the Photoshop window. You may need to resize it, but after that just press enter. Now you have to drag the new layer under the green screen layer so that it becomes the background.
You now have a green screen image in Photoshop with a new background. Then you can export or save the image as usual.
How to add a background to a poorly lit green screen
Many green screen images are poorly lit, so cutting out the greenest screen can be difficult. If you are unable to completely remove the green screen with the steps above, follow these steps.
- First, open the photo in Photoshop. Then press L on your keyboard to access the Lasso tool. Press and hold to draw an outline around the object you want to send to background. Try to do this as close to the subject itself as possible.
- Release the mouse button and your object will be selected. Then right-click and select Select Inversion.
- Press the Delete key on your keyboard and the area around your object will be deleted.
- Then right-click the Magic Wand tool and select the Quick Select tool. Use the mouse scroll wheel up + Alt to zoom in as close as possible.
- With the Quick Select tool active, use Shift + Left-Click to select areas of your object and Alt + Left-Click to select areas of the green screen.
- This process may take some time, but its purpose is to select the entire object. When finished, press Ctrl + X and then Ctrl + V.
- A new layer will be created, so you will need to hide the previous layer. Click the eye icon next to the layer containing the green screen. After that, find the background image in Finder or Windows Explorer and drag the image into the Photoshop window.
- Drag the background layer below the green screen layer and you’re done.
Note that some images will not have perfect results – the lower the image quality of the green screen in Photoshop, the more effort and care you will need to cut out the green pixels, and sometimes it is nearly impossible to do this without removing a portion. the object itself.
Summary
That is where we come to the end of our tutorial on how to add a background to a green screen image in Photoshop. If you need more help, you can leave a comment below.
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