Magic Wand Tool Photoshop uses to select any part of an image to replace, remove or edit.
Do you need to use Photoshop in your day-to-day life? If the answer is Yes, you might have heard of the Magic Wand Tool and already used it.
Using the Magic Wand Tool, you can easily select any part of a photo. And make a background transparent within a few seconds.
In addition, the magic wand tool is a handy tool in Photoshop for selection to replace or remove the background.
What is the Magic Wand Tool?
The magic wand tool is categorized as a Selection Tool in Photoshop. This tool will assist you in selecting specific areas of an image and editing it independently. The magic wand tool uses for selecting solid backgrounds or any other colored area.
However, it doesn’t show a convincing performance in an image with a different gradient or obscure feature.
You can conveniently replace or remove the background with the magic wand tool without changing the subject. Product photography and eCommerce shots are the areas where the magic wand tool is extensively used.
The pixel selection process of a magic wand tool is entirely dissimilar to a Quick Selection tool. Based on a similar color and tone, it selects pixels.
The magic wand tool doesn’t search for individual borders; it looks for a similar color canvas to complete its choices.
How to Remove Background Using Magic Wand Tool
Magic Wand Tool will give the best result for images with a constantly colored background.
This step-by-step tutorial teaches how to remove the background using the Photoshop magic wand tool.
Step 01: Selecting the Image
Opening it in Photoshop and Making a Duplication Layer of the Background Layer. In Photoshop CC, go to the File option at the top of the Menu Bar, select Open and choose the image that will be Edited.
Once the image is opened in Photoshop CC 2020, the Layer panel must be opened by selecting Window > Layer.
Don’t forget to highlight the Background Layer at this stage. Now make a duplication of the background layer. To do so, select Layer>Duplicate Layer
You have to give a customized name to the duplicated layer. Providing a name to the Duplicated Layer ensures the removal of the Background Layer. As a result, you or your team member can easily access and use the file in the future.
Step 02: Background Layer Hiding
Before starting the image editing, it will be significantly useful if you hide the Original Background Layer. This way, distraction will not happen when working in the duplicate Layer.
Look at the left portion of the image thumbnail in the Layer Palette, and you will see an eye icon. Click on it to hide the Original Background Layer.
Step 03: Configure Photoshop Magic Wand Tool
Find the Magic Wand Tool in the Tools Palette. The tools palette is placed on the left side of your computer screen.
Or select the shortcut key “W.” If you don’t find the Magic Wand Tool in the Tools palette, be sure it is hidden behind the Quick Selection Tool.
At this point, click on the Quick Selection Tool and hold it for a few seconds. The Magic Wand Tool will appear, and you can select it then.
After selecting the Magic Wand Tool, with the help of a few Magic Wand Tools Parameters, you can control the maximum and minimum selection level at a time.
At the upper portion of your computer screen, you will find the adjusting options on the Magic Wand Tools working process.
Single-Selection
If you are using the Magic Wand Tool for the first time, this option needs to be selected.
Add to Selection
This option is automatically accessible if you press and hold the “Shift” key when working with Magic Wand Tool.
Subtract from Selection
With the help of this selection, removing pixels becomes accessible from your selection while you click on your selection area.
Intersect with Selection
The new selection gets created in this selection, including previous selection pixels.
Sample Size
Adjusting the sample size is available in the newer version of Photoshop. Magic Wand Tool can select only one color pixel at once, which is its default characteristic.
If you command the magic wand tool to increase the sample size, it will average the pixel color around the sample into its selection criteria.
Tolerance
You can’t do it to select a larger area at once without adjusting the Magic Wand Tool Tolerance. It would be best if you decide to keep the Tolerance range between 15 – 30. The tolerance level is 20 in our example image.
Step 04: Making the Selection
There are two methods of selecting using the Magic Wand Tool.
Method 01: Background Selection
Method 02: Subject Selection
Depending on the image’s background color, you have to pick any method from the above. However, we will discuss both Methods for your better understanding.
Method 01: Background Selection
Does your image have a solid-colored background? If yes, then you can select the background using the Magic Wand Tool. Then you have to make Inverse to the selection.
- It is significantly essential not to do any work in the Original Layer. So, select the duplicate Layer to accomplish your work.
- Select the Magic Wand Tool, and click on any portion of the image per your preference.
- Now press and hold the Shift key. At this point, don’t forget to click on background areas that are not being selected at the initial stage—for example, the orange shadows.
- Then press Shift + Ctrl + I (for Windows), Shift + Command + I (for Mac). This will allow you to select Inverse, or the subject will get selected.
Method 02: Subject Selection
You may need to work on images where the background comes with multiple colors.
Photoshop CC 2020 has an advanced feature named Select Subject. This feature will assist you in selecting the image. Even the most intricate image can easily be selected with this feature.
- Confirm to do the editing work in the duplicate Layer.
- Now, choose the Magic Wand Tool and do not click on any image portion.
- Click on the Select Subject button at the top of the application. You will then have a rough selection of the subject.
- You will find Subtract from Selection option at the top of the screen. Next is to click on any portion of the image except the subject, such as the subject’s shadow. This will ensure that these areas will be out of selection while editing the image.
Now one question might have popped up in your mind.
Can I use the Magic Wand Tool if I have an older version of Photoshop?
You can. But there will be some limitations. Selecting the subject will not be an issue using the Magic wand tool in the older version of Photoshop.
For this, the background has to be a complex one and a one-colored subject. To select the subject, you have to follow Method 01.
The key difference is; that you will not be able to select the Inverse after finalizing the selection.
Step 05: Refining the Selection Edges
Next, you will need to choose an option named Select and Mask… positioned at the Select Subject option’s right side.
In the older version of Photoshop, you will have this option as follows Select > Refine Edge.
Now a new window will appear. You will find a series of global controls on the right side, and Spot Adjustment Tools will appear on the left side.
Select the View button from the Properties tab at the top right corner. Select the button and if On Layers (Y) is not selected, select it. Don’t forget to do it.
Now you will see an isolated subject that doesn’t have a background.
You can play with the features at this stage, but we will not use different features. Underneath Global Refinements, there is an option named Smooth function, and to the left of the screen, there is the Refine Edge Brush tool. We will take assistance from these two features.
To smoothen any rough edges of the subject, drag the Smooth slider to the right side.
Now click R to get access to the Refine Edge Tool. This feature will allow you to spot any specific areas of the photo. Using this tool is simple. First, select the tool, and paint over the selection area where refinement is needed.
Once you finish refining as per your requirement, go to the Output Setting in the lower right corner of your computer screen. From there, choose Output to Layer Mask and then hit OK.
Now the subject is entirely isolated from the background by applying the Layer Mask option.
Step 06: Applying New Background
We are at the final stage of this tutorial.
You must have a preferred image you want to use as a background in your editing image.
First, open the file of the background image.Press Ctrl + A to select the entire image.
Then press Ctrl + C to copy it.
Now go to the file that contains the isolated subject. First, the unaltered background needs to select. Then press Ctrl + V to paste the background image into the isolated subject file.
A new layer (with new background) will appear in the Layer palette between the original background and duplicate background. Now click on the eye icon of the original background to make it visible again.
If your original image’s background is white, it will help if you decide to select the blend mode to multiply the new background image. As a result, you can drag the actual shadow back to the new image.
Adding more layers as an additional background is also possible. And by toggling the eye icon, you can see how the image will appear with a different background.
After creating layers, fill them up with solid colors to see your subject against a background that comes with a solid color option.
When to Apply the Magic Wand Tool in an Image?
Product photographers and eCommerce sellers commonly use magic Wand Tools. Following this technique, you can remove an image background and replace the sky or any without any hassle. Moreover, It helps to remove the white background easily.
Below are a few scenarios about when to apply the magic wand tool in an image.
- You can show your product in different environments. Your customer can see your product against a familiar and beautiful background. It will help you to improve customer engagement as well as product sales.
- With this technique, you don’t need to change the settings of your original image. You can change your product’s shape, size, and background without affecting the original image. This means that capturing multiple images is unnecessary, while you can change the background as per your requirement with the Magic Wand Tool.
- Most 3rd party marketplaces such as Amazon, Alibaba, and eBay want product advertisements with white backgrounds. Magic Wand Tool allows a person to change the image’s background to white. After making your product image with a white background, you can list your product on those 3rd party marketplaces without any trouble.
Final Thought on Magic Wand Tool Photoshop
You will face the challenge of using the magic wand tool in a few images. While using it in other images will not give you much trouble. With a couple of easy tips and tricks, you will be able to get great images.
Follow the above step-by-step guidelines on replacing or removing an image background using the magic wand tool and give your image a beautiful look.
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