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                <h1>
                    Change pixels to transparent with the Background Eraser tool
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                <div><div class="section"><p>The
Background Eraser tool erases pixels on a layer to transparency
as you drag; this allows you to erase the background while maintaining
the edges of an object in the foreground. By specifying different
sampling and tolerance options, you can control the range of the
transparency and the sharpness of the boundaries. </p>
<div class="tip"><img src="images/tip_help.png" />If you want to erase the background
of an object with intricate or wispy edges, use QuickSelect. </div><p>The
background eraser samples the color in the center of the brush,
also called the hot spot, and deletes that color wherever it appears
inside the brush. It also performs color extraction at the edges
of any foreground objects, so that color halos are not visible if
the foreground object is later pasted into another image.</p>
<div class="note"><span class="notetitle">Note:  </span>The background eraser overrides the lock transparency
setting of a layer.</div>
</div>
<ol><li><span>In
the Layers panel, select the layer containing the areas you want
to erase.</span></li>
<li><span>Select the Background Eraser tool&#160;<img src="images/P_EraseBackground_Lg_N.png" />.</span></li>
<li><span>Click the brush sample in the options bar, and set brush
options in the pop‑up panel:</span><ul><li><p>Choose settings for the Diameter, Hardness,
Spacing, Angle, and Roundness options (see&#160;<a href="WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-77fba.html">Brush tip shape options</a>). </p>
</li>
<li><p>If you’re using a pressure-sensitive digitizing
tablet, choose options from the Size and Tolerance menus to vary
the size and tolerance of the background eraser over the course
of a stroke. Choose Pen Pressure to base the variation on the pen
pressure. Choose Stylus Wheel to base the variation on the position of
the pen thumbwheel. Choose Off if you don’t want to vary the size
or tolerance.</p>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><span>Do the following in the options bar:</span><ul><li><p>Choose a Limits mode for erasing: Discontiguous
to erase the sampled color wherever it occurs under the brush; Contiguous
to erase areas that contain the sampled color and are connected
to one another; and Find Edges to erase connected areas containing
the sampled color while better preserving the sharpness of shape
edges.</p>
</li>
<li><p>For Tolerance, enter a value or drag the slider.
A low tolerance limits erasure to areas that are very similar to
the sampled color. A high tolerance erases a broader range of colors.</p>
</li>
<li><p>Select
Protect Foreground Color to prevent the erasure of areas that match
the foreground color in the toolbox.</p>
</li>
<li><p>Choose a Sampling option: Continuous to sample colors
continuously as you drag; Once to erase only areas containing the
color you first click; and Background Swatch to erase only areas
containing the current background color.</p>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><span>Drag through the area you want to erase. The&#160;Background
Eraser tool pointer appears as a brush shape with a cross hair indicating
the tool’s hot spot&#160;<img src="images/brushhot.png" />.</span></li>
</ol>
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