How to change transparency in Photoshop. How to make a layer transparent and translucent in Photoshop
If you don't know how to make transparency in photoshop, then let's try to figure it out together. In general, there is nothing complicated here, so you do not need any special knowledge, since this Photoshop effect based primarily on changing the transparency of the tool Eraser (Eraser Tool), as well as using layer transparency (Opacity).
To demonstrate in practice, let's select some picture, for example, a glass (Fig. 1) and, placing it on some background, for example, a table in a cafe (Fig. 2), make it transparent.
Figure No. 1. Let's make a glass transparent in Photoshop.
Figure No. 2. Table in a cafe.
There are many ways how to make transparency in photoshop, however, we will look at the two that seem to me to be the most commonly used.
How to make a layer transparent in Photoshop
In the first case, we will look at an example in which not one specific object or part of it, but an entire layer can be made transparent. This way, if you need to, you can easily Make a layer transparent in Photoshop, for example, to reduce the saturation of the top layer.
So let's get started. Let's take a photo that shows a glass and extract it from the general background, for example, using the "" lesson.
Figure No. 3. How to extract an object from the background.
Now copy the entire layer using hot combination keys Ctrl+A, and then Ctrl+C, and open the photo on which we are going to place our glass (Fig. 2). Then insert the glass using the key combination Ctrl+V, and adjust the glass size we need if it suddenly turns out to be larger than required (Fig. 4).
Figure No. 4. Insert the glass onto a new background.
Resize an object in Photoshop you can do this:
Select the layer with the glass (1) and Move Tool(2) (Fig. 5);
Figure No. 5. Move Tool in Photoshop.
Now we look at the top panel and find there Show Transform Controls(don’t forget to enable this option) (Fig. 6);
Figure No. 6. Show Transform Controls in Photoshop.
Holding down the key Shift and grabbing the corner, we change the size of the glass, setting the one we need (Fig. 7), after which we uncheck Show Transform Controls.
Figure No. 7. How to resize an object.
Now it is necessary, or, more precisely, to make the layer on which the glass is located transparent. Change Layer Opacity in Photoshop possible in the panel Layers (Layers), changing the parameter Opacity (Opacity) (Fig. 8).
Figure No. 8.
How to make an object transparent in Photoshop
If it is needed do transparent object , which is on a layer, but the rest of the part should remain opaque, then the previous example simply will not suit us. In this case, you can use next way. Select the layer on which our glass is located. Now we choose Eraser tool (Eraser Tool) and change it Opacity (Opacity), which is adjusted to top panel(Fig. 9).
Figure No. 9. Change Opacity of the Eraser Tool in Photoshop.
Now all we have to do is cover up the part of the glass that we want to make transparent (Fig. 10).
I want to dedicate this lesson to this interesting moment, like the transparency of layers in Photoshop. Layering is one of the most essential skills for working in Adobe Photoshop. If you have already tried to understand this operation, you have definitely come across the definition of “layer opacity”. What is it and what is it eaten with?
Which layer is considered transparent?
Let's look at the first situation. Let's say we have an original image. Let's say a photo. And we should create new layer. Let's say using the key combination ctrl+shift+n.
This new layer will be transparent.
Second situation. You already have a document with two layers. Both are opaque. It looks something like this.
The fact that we have two layers in the original image can be seen in the layers window. Let's try to make the Harley Quinn layer transparent.
To do this, in the layers window, we select the top one and reduce its transparency to zero by moving the slider.
The layer with Harley became transparent, and the image of Deadpool appeared on the source file. That's how simple it all turned out to be.
How to make a layer semi-transparent?
Let's go back to the same source with Deadpool and Harley. But this time we move the slider not to zero. Let's leave it at, say, 50 percent. What will happen?
The reception is very useful. Often used in web design and when creating collages.
What other method can we influence the transparency of a layer?
The transparency of the layer can be changed through the blending options. Not a very convenient workaround. Although, at one time I came across it quite often, so I’ll tell you. Go to Blending Options.
In the window that appears, we see the same slider with a percentage scale. Long and tedious, of course. But in fact, there is such a thing, and with its help you can actually reduce the transparency of a layer.
Transparency in Photoshop– one of the key concepts. If you've just started learning Photoshop and don't yet know how to make the background of a photo transparent or how to make part of a picture transparent, this small lesson with illustrations will be useful for you.
How to make a transparent background in Photoshop
In order to do transparent background in a photo or drawing, it is enough to create 2 layers: a lower transparent background layer and an upper visible layer on which to remove unnecessary areas of the image.
1. Open Photoshop. Open it with a picture that needs to be placed on a transparent background ( File->Open…).
2. Select the entire image/photo ( Ctrl+O).
3. Copy the selected image ( Ctrl+C).
4. Open new file in Photoshop ( File->New… or Ctrl+N). In the window that appears, in the lowest drop-down list, select the value Transparent– “transparency”:
Click Enter and we see that Photoshop created a new file with a background consisting of white and gray squares. These squares in Photoshop indicate completely transparent areas.
5. Paste the previously copied image into a new file with a transparent background. For this we use traditional Ctrl+V. As a result, the current, completely empty and transparent layer The previously copied image will be pasted.
6. Select the area you want to delete using regular selection tools ( M)
or using “magic” tools ( W):
Press a key on your keyboard Delete and instead of the selected background or fragment of the picture you will see white and gray squares - this area will be transparent. Next, you can either save the image with transparency or continue experimenting with the image in Photoshop.
How to make translucent text and watermark
In Photoshop, in addition to the state " fully visible" And " completely transparent» there is a condition partial visibility or partial transparency. The partial visibility of an object in the picture is indicated as a percentage.
Translucent text, logo, or other translucent markings on top original images often used to protect copyright. They are usually applied using Photoshop or special plugins. Their goal is to indicate the original source of the image, indicate the authorship, and make life difficult for those people who want to steal the picture.
Let's say we need to post on the company website exclusive photo car, indicating a translucent inscription over the photo. This kind of translucency is very easy to create in Photoshop:
1. Launch Photoshop and open our photo in it ( File->Open…).
2. Select the Text tool ( T) and write an inscription on top of the photo the right size, color and style:
In this case, the text will be automatically placed in a separate layer and will be 100% visible.
3. Set the visibility of the white text in the photo to 40%. To do this, in the layers window ( Layers) move the property slider Opacity to a value of 40%:
All. Now a picture with a translucent inscription can be saved in JPG format and post it on the website. Similarly, instead of text, you can insert any other picture, for example, a BMW or website logo.
In what format should I save a picture with transparency?
Please note that saving a photo processed in Photoshop with transparent areas in JPEG format You can't - this format doesn't support transparency. Transparent areas when saved as JPG will be automatically filled with color (white by default). Among , are displayed correctly by browsers and support transparency - only GIF and PNG. Native format Photoshop PSD is not displayed by browsers.
Unfortunately, graphic formats GIF and PNG have their limitations. GIF format, like 8-bit PNG, can store a maximum of 256 colors, so it is not suitable for saving photographs. Although 24-bit PNG is suitable for storing photos and other graphics with gradients and transparency, many sites place restrictions on the formats of graphics that visitors can upload. Therefore, you can upload your photos or avatars to such sites only in JPG or GIF format. In this case, you will have to save the photo not on a transparent background, but insert in Photoshop the background on which it will be placed on the site, save the results in JPG and only then upload it to the site.
Quite often when processing images in graphic editor Adobe images Photoshop needs to create a transparent background around some part of the image being edited. You cannot do without this procedure if you are making a collage of photos, overlaying one part of the first image on the second, or creating an image with a transparent background for a website in .GIF or .PNG format. How to create a transparent background in Photoshop in this case?
This can be done in various ways. The choice of a specific method depends both on the properties of the image itself on which you want to create a transparent background, and on the personal preferences of the Photoshop user and his habits for working with certain of its tools.
Several popular ways to create a transparent background.
- Using any method, select the part of the image that should be left opaque. For example, you can use the Lasso tool for this. After making the selection, you should have a closed shape formed by a selection line with shimmering outlines.
- Create a copy of the selected layer by clicking Ctrl keys and J on the keyboard. A new layer should appear in the layer management window, containing only the one selected in previous step fragment of the original image. The background around this fragment in the new layer should be transparent.
- Now you can delete the layer with the original image by dragging it in the layer management window to the trash can, and save the new layer in one of two formats that support transparent backgrounds: GIF or PNG. Or continue working with the selected fragment, pasting it into other images in accordance with your ideas.
But, this method Suitable for creating a transparent background around images with simple outlines. In real-life problems, we often encounter creating transparency around complex shapes or objects with undefined edges.
Do it with with minimal effort allows the Extract filter. This filter for some reason it was removed by the developers from latest versions Photoshop, but remained available as an additional external module.
To make a transparent background using it, do the following.
- In the top main menu, click on the “Filter” group and select “Extract” from the menu that appears.
- On the left side of the window, select a tool called Edge Highlighter Tool. Set the required marker size on the right in the “Brush Size” window in accordance with the image size.
- Draw a marker along the border of the background to be cut out so that the marker paints approximately half of the cut out figure and half of the background to be cut out. Don't strive for perfection right away. Subsequently, you can correct the result of the work in this step. Create a closed selection.
- Use the Fill Tool to fill in the part of the image that you want to create on a transparent background and click OK.
- The result is a whitened image on a transparent background.
- Now you can correct all the shortcomings of the selection obtained in step 3 using the “History Brush” tool, which will restore erroneously deleted areas. Or, on the contrary, remove all the excess that got into the drawing using the Eraser tool.
By default, all new layers in Photoshop are created with 100% opacity. But the degree of transparency of the layer can be changed using the settings Opacity And Fill located at the top of the Layers palette.
Opacity(Opacity) is a setting with a 100% scale that allows you to change the degree of transparency of the entire layer, with all the applied effects. If the value is different from 100%, the underlying layer will be visible. A transparency level of 0% indicates complete absence visible images.
The transparency of the layer can be compared to tracing paper, which is applied to drawings in order to copy them.
Fill(Fill) is a 100% scaled setting that allows you to change the visibility of a layer without affecting its overlays.
What transparency looks like in Photoshop
Logically, transparency digital image is a lack of color saturation and density. If you imagine color as a film, then transparency is the intensity of light shining through it. But How to show translucency on a computer?
Photoshop introduced symbol transparency to the world computer graphics — chess background.
Now this convention has become a standard. Many programs and web services use a checkerboard background when we're talking about about transparency. For example, Yandex.Images or Google Images show images with transparent elements on a checkerboard background.
3 ways to make an image layer transparent
To begin with, you need the necessary layer. The technique of selecting two or more using the Ctrl or Shift keys would also be appropriate here.
Note
The background layer (with the lock icon) cannot be transparent. For him, these settings are inactive.
One more note
The layer thumbnail will not change, no matter what transparency value you set.
Method 1 Entering numbers
Enter the required transparency value in numbers from 0 to 100 in the special settings window on the palette. Since both settings have almost the same effect, you can use either of them, just remember what they are.
Method 2 Slider control
A little to the right of the numbers there is a button with a small arrow. If you click on it, a slider will appear. You need to move it with the mouse left or right to decrease or increase the transparency of the layer, respectively.
The number display will show the current value, and the image itself will change with the movement of your hand.
Method 3 Using the keyboard
For a number of Photoshop tools, it is possible to change the opacity of a layer using the keyboard. Select a tool, for example, or (there are also a number of other tools, you can find them by brute force).
Now press the numbers on your keyboard:
- The number 1 will change the opacity to 10%, 2 to 20%, 5 to 50% and so on;
- The number 0 means 100%;
- Dial 55 and you get 55%, 67 is 67% and so on
To use the same technique to change Fills, hold down together with the numbers Shift key.
How to make a separate section of a layer transparent
To make not the entire layer transparent, but only it separate plot, it will take some effort. There is no tool as such for this purpose. However, depending on the problem, there are at least two solutions.
Both solutions are united by the initial, perhaps the most time-consuming work - creating a dedicated area. The logic of the action is simple - you need to select a fragment of the image with which further work will take place.
In your example, let's say you need to make gray transparent round background. To do this I will use the tool. On the settings panel you need to set the parameter Add to selection, and then click on all the desired areas until you select them all.
After the selected area has appeared, you can make this fragment transparent.
Method 1 Cut out the desired area of the image onto a new layer
First you need to make sure that any of the tools for creating a selected area is not active. For example Magic wand, which was used in the previous step.
Now you can right-click on the selection. will appear context menu. We are interested in the team Cut to new layer.
As a result, this fragment will be separated from the current image and moved to a new layer. And then you can do whatever you want with that new layer, including changing the transparency.
Method 2 Using an eraser
This method is suitable if you need to achieve not a uniform reduction in transparency, but a floating one, that is, make this effect stronger in some places and weaker in others.
Select , in the options bar set the value Opacity different from 100%. Then erase areas of the image that are in the selected area. The tool will only affect those pixels that you have selected.
Change the value Opacity, if you need to achieve an uneven effect.
How to save an image with transparency
There are many, but only two of them support transparency - PNG and GIF.
GIF has a limitation - the pixel must either be transparent or not, there is no third option, that is, a transparency value, for example, 59% will no longer be supported. This format also has restrictions on the number of colors used - there can be no more than 256.
Therefore, the image must be saved V PNG format . Only it is devoid of all shortcomings and is capable of showing translucent pixels.
To create a PNG image in Photoshop, you need to run the command: File - Save As. A dialog box will appear in which you need to specify a location to save on your computer, and also select from the drop-down list File type — PNG(*.PNG).
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