Using Portrait Pro Digital Backgrounds

Learn how to erase the background behind the subject of any photograph, resize the Portrait Pro digital background that you choose so it fits your original photograph, and paste your subject onto the resized Portrait Pro digital background. We will show you the basics of erasing what you don't want in a photo and copying over what you do want to a Portrait Pro digital background.

Open Your Photo
Start your software and open the photograph you wish to add to a Portrait Pro digital background. Immediately, save your photo as something else under a new name, so you do not accidentally ruin the original photograph When you save the photo make sure that you save the image as the preferred file type for the software you're using -- for example, if you're using Photoshop, save your photo as a ".psd" file, or if you're using Paint Shop Pro, save as a ".psp" file. This is very important because it will keep the quality of your photograph at 100% while you work. It is best to have a file type that allows you to work in layers with transparent backgrounds. Check your software documentation for the best file type for your software.

Once you have save your photograph, make all necessary adjustments to color, contrast, etc. so that the photo is bright, clear and color corrected before we begin to remove the unwanted background.

Work With Layers
You'll want your photograph on a "transparent background" in your image processing software, so that when you use the Selection Tool or Eraser Tool to remove part of your photo, the end product is a "transparent background" (usually shows as gray/white checkerboard) and not a solid color. There are many ways to do this, depending on the software that you're using, and your software might already start you off on a transparent background layer. Look at your Layers window, and see what it says next to your photo. If it says background, you'll need to promote the layer. In Photoshop, go to Layer in the top menu bar, then New, then Background from Layer. In Paint Shop Pro, go to your Layers menu at the top, and select Promote the Background Layer. Most software will have a selection for this. (Search the "Help" menu of your software for more information on making Layers and Transparent layers.)


Erasing Unwanted Parts of  the Photo Background
Start erasing the excess parts of your background that won't be needed in the final photo. Use your Selection Tool or Lasso Tool to highlight the unwanted parts of your photo, being careful to get close to your subject, but without hitting your subject. After you highlight your selection, press the delete key on your keyboard, and your highlighted selection should erased from your photo.  The erased section should now be filled with a gray and white checkerboard pattern. If not, you are not working with layers, and your should go back to the previous section and promote your image to a layer. We suggest zooming in on different parts of your photo as you're getting as close as possible to your subject, for greater accuracy. Remember, if you ever make a mistake, go to the Edit menu and click Undo. Also, don't forget to erase the parts of the background that show through between the arms, legs, or hair, etc.  Make sure to save your work often.

Using The Eraser Tool Up Close
Now that you've cut away most of your background of your original photo, we need to get up close and erase away all of that excess background that is surrounding and touching your subject. We need to do this in fine  so that none of the original background is left in your subject photo. First, click on your Eraser Tool in your tools palette. Then Zoom In on the part of your subject photo that you'd like to start on, and begin carefully using your Eraser Tool to erase the background near your subject. Also adjust your Eraser Tool settings as you proceed, in order to help you erase more efficiently, by choosing different settings of brush type, shape, size, hardness, opacity, etc. Experiment with the settings to find a way to erase that works best for you and the part of your photo you're working on. For example, for up close work, zoom in and use a smaller size eraser. Or, for hair, use a lighter brush that's more thin and diagonal in shape, to get between the hairs that go out into the background.
Also, you do not need to use an eraser setting with 100% hardness or high opacity. When you start to erase, the background touching your subject should not cut out sharply in contrast, as the background should really begin to fade out. You should continue to go over that background until it's gone, but the edges of your subject should fade into the clear empty background, instead of being harshly cut out, as this will give your subject a much more natural look on the Portrait Pro digital background.

Note -  This will take some practice, in order to get close to your subject without erasing any part of them, to make it look natural in the end. Take it easy and slow, and experiment with your different eraser settings until you're really comfortable with your eraser tool.

Save Your New Image
Once you have the old background cleared away, save your image under a new name -- we'll call this your cut-out photo. This new cut-out photo is very important, because in the future whenever you want, you can come back to this photo again and again to use on as many different Portrait Pro digital backgrounds as you like -- and since it's saved with the new clear background, you won't have to go back and erase the original background again. 

Opening a Portrait Pro Digital Background & Resizing
With your cut-out photo still open, open up the Portrait Pro Digital Background of your choice. So both your cut-out photo and your Portrait Pro digital background should be side-by-side.
At this point, you'll want to make sure that your Portrait Pro digital background file is similar in resolution and dimension (in either pixels or inches) as your cut-out photo. In the next step, we will bring the two images together, and your cut-out will need to be the right size on your backdrop.

You always want to make your larger image smaller, as you can size down and preserve image quality, but you really can't make smaller images bigger without losing quality.

Look at the image information of your cut-out photo -- most software have a menu choice for Image Information, image details, or properties.

You want to resize the Portrait Pro digital background as close to the size of your cut-out photo as possible. You also want to reset the resolution to the same pixel depth as your cut-out photo. The pixel depth is usually referenced as ppi or dpi. All of the Portrait Pro digital backgrounds are saved at 300 dpi. IMPORTANT: You should always lock the aspect ratio for your resize, as this will maintain the symmetry of your photo.

NOTE:  it's important that you do not resize larger, only smaller, to save image quality. So, if you're photo is larger than your Portrait Pro digital background, make your photo smaller to fit. If your Portrait Pro digital background is larger than your photo (which will most likely be the case), then make your Portrait Pro digital background smaller. Don't forget, you can always Undo and try again. Resolution and Image Size can be tricky, so be careful not to resize your final projects too small, with a low resolution, or your prints will be lower in quality than the original.

Move Your Cut-Out Photo to Portrait Pro Digital Background
With both your subject cut-out photo and Portrait Pro digital background open, side-by-side, go to your cut-out photo (by clicking its title bar if necessary) and highlight the image, by pressing Ctrl+a on your keyboard. Next, copy your highlighted selection by pressing Ctrl+c on your keyboard, or from your Edit menu. Then, go to your Portrait Pro digital background image, and click on its title bar, then choose your Edit menu, and click Paste. In Paint Shop Pro, it's best to click Paste, then Paste as New layer. Use the paste option that allows you to paste your selection into another image, and not as a new image altogether. Then, reposition your subject to where you want them on the Portrait Pro digital background - in Photoshop, you will need to switch to your Move tool on the toolbar menu, then click and drag your subject to the desired spot. Deselect your subject by pressing Ctrl+d on your keyboard if necessary.
There is a chance that your subject might look wrongly sized for the Portrait Pro digital background. If this is the case, just Undo the Paste action and resize your Portrait Pro digital background accordingly. Then, go back to the Paste option and paste your subject back on the Portrait Pro digital background, and see if the new sizing fits better. If your resize still doesn't fit, press Undo, and try again until it works.
 

Final Touches
Look over your final combined image and see if there's anything that sticks out or looks unnatural. For example, if too much of the original background is showing on the edges of the subject, you may want to go back to the original subject and erase around the edges a little more. If you're using layers, you can just erase right on your subject over your Portrait Pro digital background, as long as you make sure your subject's layer is selected in your Layers window, so you don't erase the Portrait Pro digital background by mistake.

Your cut-out photo will look different, on different Portrait Pro digital backgrounds, so try many.
 

Note: You can also clean up some edges by using your soften tool brush, and lightly softening around the cut-out photo edges.

It is recommended that you now save your work in a .tif format, under a different file name. We do not recommend that any compression be used during your save process, as some photo processors cannot recognize compressed images.



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