How to Add Transparency in Photoshop

Photoshop allows us to create colorless images (backgrounds, layers or transparent sections) using a variety of options for different transparency effects through the opacity gauge that appears when you create the document. new material. Furthermore, you can use the selection tool or eraser to create some transparent areas on the image. People often use the transparency effect in Photoshop when they want to print paper with a pattern design or add an image to a textured background on a website (because the texture will appear through the transparent area). With a little practice, you’ll be able to add transparency to your Photoshop images in no time.

Table of Contents

Create a transparent background

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/a/a1/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-1-Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency- in-Photoshop-Step-1-Version-3.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/a/a1/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-1- Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-1-Version-3.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight” :546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Click “File”→”New”. Go to the File section in the top menu of the window and select “New.” A new window will pop up where you can assign properties to the new Photoshop document.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/c/c5/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-2-Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency- in-Photoshop-Step-2-Version-3.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/c/c5/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-2- Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-2-Version-3.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight” :546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Select “Transparent”. A menu will appear, click “Background Contents” and select “Transparent”. This button is located near the bottom of the new document window that pops up.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/8/81/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-3-Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency- in-Photoshop-Step-3-Version-3.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/8/81/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-3- Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-3-Version-3.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight” :546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Click OK.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/5/5f/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-4-Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency- in-Photoshop-Step-4-Version-3.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/5/5f/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-4- Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-4-Version-3.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight” :546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Check out the classes. Look in the Layers window or the Layers tab in the document’s properties bar (always open by default). The background layer will look like a checkered grid with two colors gray and white (indicating colorless).

Make the layer transparent

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/c/cd/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-5-Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency- in-Photoshop-Step-5-Version-3.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/c/cd/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-5- Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-5-Version-3.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight” :546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Select class. Select the layer you want to make transparent from the Layers tab’s layer list.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/b/bd/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-6-Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency- in-Photoshop-Step-6-Version-3.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/b/bd/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-6- Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-6-Version-3.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight” :546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Select a transparency effect. Click the number box that appears next to the Opacity heading at the top of the Layers tab. The default parameter of transparency is 100%.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/2/2c/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-7-Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency- in-Photoshop-Step-7-Version-3.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/2/2c/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-7- Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-7-Version-3.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight” :546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Reduce opacity. Click and drag the arrow on the opacity ruler to change the opacity of the layer. If you want the layer to be completely transparent, set the Opacity to 0%.

Make a transparent area

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/7/79/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-8-Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency- in-Photoshop-Step-8-Version-3.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/7/79/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-8- Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-8-Version-3.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight” :546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Select class. Select a non-transparent layer, but make sure that the layers below the selected layer (including the background layer) are transparent.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/0/00/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-9-Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency- in-Photoshop-Step-9-Version-3.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/0/00/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-9- Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-9-Version-3.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight” :546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Select the area to transform. Make a selection using one of the Selection tools.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/e/eb/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-10-Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency- in-Photoshop-Step-10-Version-3.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/e/eb/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-10- Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-10-Version-3.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight” :546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Click Copy to copy the selection.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/9/96/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-11-Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency- in-Photoshop-Step-11-Version-3.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/9/96/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-11- Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-11-Version-3.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight” :546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Press Delete to delete the selection. Your image will have a hole in it.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/f/f2/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-12-Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency- in-Photoshop-Step-12-Version-3.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/f/f2/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-12- Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-12-Version-3.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight” :546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Create a new class. Paste the copied selection into the new layer.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/9/96/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-13-Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency- in-Photoshop-Step-13-Version-3.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/9/96/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-13- Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-13-Version-3.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight” :546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Reduce opacity. The selection you have assigned will become transparent.

Create transparent strokes

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/0/08/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-14-Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency- in-Photoshop-Step-14-Version-3.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/0/08/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-14- Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-14-Version-3.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight” :546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Create or select a layer. Select a layer (the layer should have opacity higher than 0%, preferably 100% non-transparent). The entire layer below this layer must be transparent.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/4/44/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-15-Version-2.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency- in-Photoshop-Step-15-Version-2.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/4/44/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-15- Version-2.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-15-Version-2.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight” :546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Click the Eraser tool. Select the Eraser eraser from the toolbar.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/2/27/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-16-Version-2.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency- in-Photoshop-Step-16-Version-2.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/2/27/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-16- Version-2.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-16-Version-2.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight” :546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Change settings. Set the size and shape of the eraser using the Options bar that appears when the Eraser tool is selected.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/d/db/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-17-Version-2.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency- in-Photoshop-Step-17-Version-2.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/d/db/Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-17- Version-2.jpg/v4-728px-Add-Transparency-in-Photoshop-Step-17-Version-2.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight” :546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Use the Eraser tool to draw. You’re essentially erasing areas that you’re “drawing” over, exposing the transparent layers underneath.

Advice

Click the eye icon next to the layer to make the layer’s background transparent.

Warning

When adding transparency to Photoshop through any of the transparency options, the information is not stored when the image is saved as JPEG. It is best to save the image with the transparency effect as a Photoshop Document (PSD) format.

Steps