How To Remove Background From Scanned Image With Photoshop

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

Step-By-Step Guide For Removing Background From a 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.

STEP 2: Adjust Brightness

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

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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.

STEP 4: Adjust Contrast

Push the Brightness (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 5: Adjust Curves

Click the same eclipse icon and select “Curves.” At the moment, this does nothing because the default values do not modify the image.

STEP 6: Open The Settings Panel

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

STEP 7: Adjust Highlights

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

STEP 8: Flatten The Layer

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

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STEP 9: Make Layers Invisible

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

STEP 10: Adjust The Solid Color By Layer

Click the eclipse again and select “Solid Color.” This will create a new layer named “Color Fill 1.” Hit CTRL+Shift+[ to send it back.
For now, the layer its 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.

STEP 11: Open Layer Style Panel

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

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.

STEP 13: Create a New Layer & 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).

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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.

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).

STEP 16: Fill The Layer With 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.

STEP 17: Clean The Remaining Dots

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

STEP 18: Make The Layer Invisible

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

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STEP 19: How To Remove Background From Scanned Image – Export The File

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

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Final Image After You Remove Background From Scanned Document

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

We hope you’ve learned how to delete a white background in Photoshop today. If you did, please let us know in the comments section or share this article with someone who needs it.

Also, check out 7 Perfect Text Colors That Can Be Used On Golden Backgrounds

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