How to remove a background from an image.

This tutorial shows how to remove a background from an image. This can be used to remove a background from a photo like the one shown here or remove a background from a portrait with flowing hair.

Next click the [Create a Duplicate Layer] 'Icon' this makes a copy of the image with the 'Alpha Channel'

Load your image, 'Right Click' the [background] layer and . [Add Alpha Channel]

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With the top layer selected go to [Color]on the menu scroll down and click [Desaturate] In the 'Desaturate' dialog choose 'Luminosity' and click [OK]

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There are a few ways to do this, I will choose [Brightness & Contrast]

Go to [Color] on the menu bar and Click [Brightness -Contrast] In the adjustment dialog move the.. Brightness slider to the right, about (29) Contrast slider to the right about (105)

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Return to the [Color] menu and click [Invert]

Go to the ' Toolbox' and select the [Paintbrush] Change to foreground colourto 'White'. Choose a large bush size.

The idea here is that everything you want to keep needs to be painted 'White'. Everything 'Black' will be removed.

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Go to [Edit] on the 'Menu Bar' and click [Cut]. With the remaining 'Background' in the Layers dialog. Go to the 'Menu bar' and click [Layer] move down to [Mask] and 'Add a Layer Mask'
Note: Everything to keep is painted 'White'.

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The mask is to be 'White (full opacity)' then click [Add]

Go to [Edit] and scroll down and click [Paste]

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We now havea 'Floating Select (pasted Layer). Go to the 'Anchor' Icon and click the icon. This anchors the floating layer to the layer mask and give you the cut out background. Choose a new background and load it as a layer........... Go to [File] and click 'Open as Layer' This will place the new layer on top of your Working background.

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Use the arrow (pointing down) to move the new loaded layer below the working background layer. Click the top layer, go to [Layer] on the menu bar scroll down and click [Merge Down]. Save you image as normal.

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