How to Create Backgrounds in Adobe Photoshop

Last Updated: August 10, 2021 Tested

A background is a basic element of an image. Whether it’s of a plain or a more complex design, a background complements and lets the object on the foreground stand out and be viewed much better. In Adobe Photoshop, you can get creative and use different types of backgrounds to enhance your images. Creating a background, whether on a new image or an existing one, is simple and can be done in a few quick steps.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Creating a Background on a New Workspace

1
Open Adobe Photoshop. Click on its desktop icon or launch it from the Program/Application list on your computer.
2
Click on “File” at the top-left corner of the window. It’s along the menu bar. Select “New” to open the settings window for the new image workspace to be created.

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3
Click the drop-down list beside “Background Contents.” Afterwards, select the background you want to use from list.
- “White” sets the workspace background to white.
- “Background color” sets the workspace background to the one selected on the color palette on the workspace menu at the left.
- “Transparent” sets the workspace background to transparent; this is ideal for creating GIF or PNG image formats.
4
Adjust the other options on the workspace settings window. For example, you can adjust the color and resolution.
- Click on “OK” once you’re done to create the workspace.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Creating a New Background for an Existing Image

1
Open Adobe Photoshop. Click on its desktop icon or launch it from the Program/Application list on your computer.
2
Click on “File” at the top-left corner of the window. It’s along the menu bar. Select “Open” to open an existing image that you would like to edit.
3
Navigate to the location of the file. Once you do, click on the “OK” button to confirm opening the image file on Photoshop.
4
Go to the Layer tab. It’s at the right side of the window. Right-click on the “Background” layer, and select “Duplicate Layer” from the pop-up menu to create a replicate of the original image.
5
Right-click on the original “Background” layer again. This is the one with a lock icon. This time, select “Delete Layer” to remove it.
6
Click on the “Create a new layer” button. It’s at the lower-right corner of the Layer tab. This will create a new layer on top of the duplicate “Background” layer.
7
Drag the newly created layer below the “Background.” Afterwards, start creating a new background either by using the Photoshop tools like Pen, Pencil, and Paint Brush, or by pasting another image onto it.
8
Be sure to save. Click on “File,” and select “Save” to save the changes you made.
9
Finished.