How do you change the background of your hair in Photoshop?

You can change the background of your hair in Photoshop by isolating the hair from the original background and then placing it onto a new background. Here's a breakdown of how to do it:

Isolating the Hair

There are several methods for isolating hair, each with its strengths and weaknesses:

• Using the Background Eraser Tool:

  1. Open your image in Photoshop.
  2. Select the "Background Eraser Tool" from the toolbar.
  3. Adjust the tool settings (size, tolerance, sampling) to suit your image. Tolerance controls how similar the colors need to be for the tool to erase them. Lower tolerance is safer for more complex images.
  4. Carefully paint around the hair, removing the background. Be precise and take your time, especially around fine strands.

• Using the Magic Wand and "Select and Mask"

  1. Open your image in Photoshop.
  2. Select the "Magic Wand Tool" from the toolbar.
  3. Click on the background to select it. You may need to adjust the "Tolerance" setting in the options bar to refine the selection.
  4. Go to Select > Select and Mask. This opens a dedicated workspace for refining selections.
  5. Use the various tools within the "Select and Mask" workspace, especially the "Refine Edge Brush Tool," to clean up the selection around the hair. Pay close attention to flyaway hairs and edges.
  6. Adjust the "Smooth," "Feather," "Contrast," and "Shift Edge" sliders to further refine the selection.
  7. Choose "New Layer with Layer Mask" from the "Output To" dropdown menu.
  8. Click "OK" to apply the changes. This will create a new layer with your subject and a layer mask that hides the background.

• Using Channels: (Advanced Method - often best for fine hair details)

  1. Open your image in Photoshop.
  2. Go to the "Channels" panel (Window > Channels).
  3. Identify the channel (Red, Green, or Blue) with the most contrast between the hair and the background.
  4. Duplicate the channel with the best contrast.
  5. Use the "Levels" adjustment (Image > Adjustments > Levels) to increase the contrast in the duplicated channel, making the hair as dark as possible and the background as light as possible.
  6. Use the "Brush Tool" with black and white to further refine the mask, painting over any areas that need correction.
  7. Create a selection from the channel by Ctrl/Cmd-clicking on the channel thumbnail.
  8. Invert the selection (Select > Inverse) if you want to select the hair itself, rather than the background.
  9. Return to the "Layers" panel and create a layer mask on your original layer using the selection (Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal Selection or Hide Selection, depending on if the hair or background is selected.)

Adding a New Background

Once you have successfully isolated the hair:

1. Create a new layer below the layer with the isolated hair.
2. Fill the new layer with a solid color using the Paint Bucket Tool or Edit > Fill.
3. Alternatively, place a new background image on the new layer (File > Place Embedded or File > Place Linked). Adjust the size and position of the background image as needed.

Refinements

• Color Correction: Adjust the colors of the hair layer to blend seamlessly with the new background using adjustment layers (e.g., Color Balance, Curves, Hue/Saturation).
• Shadows: Add a subtle shadow to the hair layer to ground it in the new scene. Use Layer Styles or manually paint a shadow with a soft brush.
• Edge Artifacts: If you notice any haloing or unwanted edges around the hair, try using the "Defringe" command (Layer > Matting > Defringe) or further refine the layer mask.

By using these techniques, you can effectively change the background of hair in Photoshop for professional-looking results.