How to Change the Background Color in Photoshop

Today I'm going to show you how to change the background color in Photoshop using a few different methods. We'll discover not only how to change a white background to color in Photoshop, but also how to change the background color of a photo. Let's get started!

If you want to learn how to change a layer's background color in Photoshop via video, check out our lesson on the Envato Tuts+ YouTube channel:

What You'll Need in This Photoshop Background Tutorial

Before learning how to change the background color in Photoshop, I want to show you which assets were used during the production of this tutorial:

• Handmade Soap Photo

What You'll Learn in This Photoshop Background Tutorial

• How to change the background color using Photoshop


• How to change the background color to white using the Fill function


• How to change the color of a background in Photoshop using a Fill Layer


• How to change the background color of a photo

1. How to Change a White Background to Color in Photoshop Using the New Document Menu

Step 1

You might've been wondering, "How can I change the background color in Photoshop when creating a new document?" Usually, when you create a new document in Photoshop, it fills the background with white. But you could easily change the background color right here, in the New Document menu. Just select the color you want from the Background Contents list.

Or open the Color Picker and change the color in Photoshop to any color you like!

2. How to Change the Background Color in Photoshop to White Using the Fill Function

If you want to change the Photoshop background color back to white, in the document we've created, you could use this simple method: go to Edit > Fill (or press Shift-F5) and select the white color. 

3. How to Change the Background Color in Photoshop Using a Fill Layer

Step 1

You could also use a fill layer to change your Photoshop background color. Go to Layer > New Fill Layer > Solid Color. Once you hit OK, you will see a Color Picker, where you can select any color you want to use.

Step 2

I like to use a solid color for backgrounds, because you could easily change its color just by Double-Clicking on it in the Layers panel.

4. How to Change the Background Color of a Photo

Step 1

Now you know how to change the background color in Photoshop, but if you want to know how to change a picture's background color, let's try to do it with a photo. Open the image you want to use in Photoshop. I chose this photo.

To change the background color in a picture, we will use the Quick Selection Tool, which you can find in the Tools menu. Start selecting the objects on the photo (or just click Select Subject in the latest version of Photoshop).

Polish the selection using the Quick Selection Tool, while holding Alt.

Step 2

Press Shift-Control-I to invert the selection.

Step 3

Create a Solid Color Fill layer and select the color you want to use for the background.

As you can see, it looks pretty bad right now, as we lose all the shadows! We'll fix this issue in the next step.

Step 4

Change the Blending Mode of the Color Fill layer to Multiply and play with the Opacity until you get the best result.

Awesome Work, You're Now Done!

Today we've learned how to change the layer background color in Photoshop in a few simple and handy ways! I hope you have enjoyed the tutorial!

Learn More About Adobe Photoshop

Photoshop continues to be one of the most powerful image editing tools out there. If you want to learn more about Photoshop, then check out these amazing tutorials:

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