While most of us are well familiar with Adobe Photoshop and its uses mainly by graphic designers, web designers, photographers, etc. those who do not know should know that it is important software mainly used to make changes or edits in images loaded on computers. It comes integrated with a variety of handy tools to help these professionals edit images, although it lacks a built-in color picker. This makes things quite challenging for them while switching colors in the document without much trial and error. For example, if you want to make changes in the background of your project from blue to pink but don’t know how to change background color in photoshop, there is simply no easy way to do this. You can do so only without altering the RGB values within Photoshop’s options. Alternatively, there is another handy tool, for example, GIMP that you can consider using.
So considering how to change background color in photoshop, we have a solution very different from the one that refers to making no changes to any RGB values. However, to implement this idea, simply open a file in Photoshop first.
How to Change Background Color in Photoshop Through Useful Steps
Here are the inclusive steps on how to change background color in photoshop:
Step 1: Create the new background color
To do so, simply replace the blue color with pink. Get access to Photoshop’s Edit menu and select Color Picker (or hit Ctrl+Alt+P or Cmd+Opt+P on Mac). If you are using Photoshop CS5 or even an advanced version, you will find an in-built pink option too but this seems to differ from our targeted thing. We’re going to use a custom color. So, check the dialog box that turns up, click on the Custom Color button.
Image Credit: Pretty Presets
Step 2: Adjust the values of your new background color
Let us look at a few key factors that will help this trick to work:
– Hue – Tweaking the value of Hue is possible but this is not what we have to do here. Nevertheless, if you are curious to see what it appears like when you change the Hue value, first select the entire image and then hold down Ctrl (Cmd on Mac) and click anywhere inside it. This will enable you to choose an ambit of colors with only one mouse click, rather than going through the hassle of moving your cursor over each individual tone distinctly.
– Saturation – In the Hue/Saturation dialog box that you see turns up, cut down this value to 60%. Eventually, fine tune the saturation of the new color but in fact there is no such need to do if you consider keeping it low.
Image Credit: Design & Illustration – Envato Tuts+
– Value – When it comes to fine tuning the value, this is maybe one of the most crucial values. Use a mid-value, for example, 160 seems best. Again, using your discretion you can change it eventually but there is no need to do so if you are interested in keeping your new background color as tantamount to its original color as possible.
Step 3: Test your new background color
Check on an area of your document and make adjustments as needed. Test it on an area similar in tone and make small adjustments until it looks exactly like you want it to.
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Step 4: Copy the color
Once you have ascertained the best fitting value for your new background color, copy it to your clipboard.
All this you can do easily using Photoshop CS5 and advanced versions by just moving your cursor over the swatch and hitting Ctrl+C (Cmd+C on Mac) or right-clicking on the tone and then hitting Copy Color in the context menu that turns up.
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Step 5: Paste your new background color into Photoshop’s Edit menu
To do this, go to Edit > Paste (Ctrl+V or Cmd+V).
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Step 6: Replace the old background color with your new one
In the dialog box that appears when you paste, name your new color and then move it from the “Foreground” to the “Background” box. Then click OK.
Image Credit: Design & Illustration – Envato Tuts+
Step 7: Add a new layer
Hit Ctrl+Shift+N (Cmd+Shift+N on Mac) to create a new layer or right-click in your document’s layers panel and choose New Layer from Background (the last option in the context menu).
Image Credit: Brendan Williams Creative
Step 8: Fill your new layer with your new background color and set it to Multiply
To do this, go to Edit > Fill (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) or right-click in your layers panel and choose the second of the two options in the context menu. Fill it with the color you copied to your clipboard in step 4.
Image Credit: Brendan Williams Creative
Step 9: Change the blend mode of your new layer
In Photoshop CS3 and higher, go to Layer > Layer Style > Blending Options. Otherwise, right-click on your layer and choose Blending Options from the context menu (in Photoshop CS4 and earlier, this is under Layer Style). Then check Color Overlay.
– Blend Mode – In the dropdown menu that appears, select Multiply.
– Gradient Tool – Choose the gradient tool from the ‘tools’ panel.
Image Credit: Photoshop Essentials
Step 10: Add a new layer mask
To do this, select your new layer above your old one. Then choose Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal All (Ctrl+Alt+Shift+R or Cmd+Opt+Shift+R on Mac).
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Step 11: Add color to the edges of your new layer mask
By moving the cursor over it and hitting Ctrl+Shift while holding down your mouse button.
This will allow you to paint with any hue/value combination you’d like, not just keep your original background color while creating a recolored edge around it.
Image Credit: SLR Lounge
Step 12: Enjoy your new background color
You can save this file to keep it, or you can start a new one and use it again.
Image Credit: Brendan Williams Creative
Conclusion
Now you have learnt how to change background color in photoshop through this stepwise guide, you most likely need not look elsewhere for any further assistance.In the first impression, things may appear like it is rather time-consuming and problematic, but in general it is really not so. Put simply, the tips discussed above on how to change background color in photoshop will help you save plenty of time and hassles in due course!
