How Do I Remove Background After Masking?

After creating a mask, removing the background depends on your software. Here's how to do it in common applications:

Photoshop

In Photoshop, after masking your subject, you can remove the background in several ways:

• Using the keyboard: Press Control + Backspace (PC) or Command + Delete (Mac) to fill the masked area with the background color. This is a quick method if you've already chosen a background color. This method is mentioned in the provided video snippet, "[Removing the Background with Object Selection Tool and Masking #shorts]".

• Layer Mask: If your goal is a transparent background, ensure the layer mask is properly applied, and the area outside your subject is masked. Then, you might save the image in a format that supports transparency, like PNG. The Photoshop Tutorial - Removing the Background with Object... video mentions this approach. If the edges of your mask are imperfect, you could use the Filter > Other > Minimum filter, as suggested by How To Remove a Background In Photoshop.

• Clipping Masks: For non-destructive editing, use clipping masks. This approach is highlighted in The Simple Way to Remove a Background in Photoshop.

After Effects

In After Effects, the process is slightly different, and problems might arise. Sometimes, a mask won't remove the background as expected. The Masking wont remove background thread on Creative Cow highlights this issue. This is likely due to the render settings. Ensure rendering is enabled to see the results of your mask. The Solved: Mask background turns black in After Effects thread on the Adobe Community forum points out that render settings might be the cause of a black background.

Consider using plugins like Mask Prompter for AI-assisted masking, streamlining the process (as shown in the Mask Prompter After Effects Tutorial video). If the background is simple, you may use planar tracking or alpha mattes. As mentioned in the Reddit post, Is auto masking/background removing possible?, these methods are most effective with plain backgrounds. Otherwise, you may use plugins that rely on Artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically remove backgrounds, as noted in the Reddit thread AI Masking in Premiere (or After Effects).

Remember to always work on a copy of your original layer to avoid accidentally modifying it.