Erasing your way to a cutout is crude but effective — as long as the settings are right. This tutorial covers edge hardness, how undo and History states get you out of trouble, and how to export a transparent PNG. Best for images with a plain background and tidy edges, which makes it ideal practice for beginners.
① Open the PS editor
Click Online PS (zaixianps.cc) and the Photoshop workspace opens right inside the page.
⚠️ The first load may take a few seconds — please be patient.
② Open the image
In Photoshop, choose File → Open (Ctrl+O) and select the image you want to cut out.
③ Duplicate the layer
The Layers panel is in the bottom-right corner. Right-click the current layer → Duplicate Layer (or press Ctrl+J). That way you can always return to the original layer.
④ Select the Eraser tool
Find the Eraser tool (E) on the left of the toolbar — it shares a tool slot with the Brush tool.
⑤ Set the eraser options
Adjust these values in the options bar at the top:
- Hardness: low hardness = soft edges, good for large transitions; high hardness = crisp edges, good for detail.
- Size: use the [ and ] shortcuts to switch quickly.
- Mode: “Normal” by default. If you want to keep the color underneath, try “Darken”/“Lighten”.
- Flow & Opacity: flow controls the strength of each stroke, opacity controls the overall transparency.
⑥ Start cutting out (with the eraser)
On the duplicated layer, erase the background you don't want. Start with a large, low-hardness brush to clear the big areas quickly, then switch to a small, high-hardness brush to refine the edges.
Tips
- Hold Alt to temporarily switch to the Eyedropper and sample the foreground color at any time.
- Press Space to temporarily switch to the Hand tool (move the view) without affecting the current brush.
- If hard edges show up, lower the hardness or add a mask afterwards for a finer touch-up.
⑦ Fix mistakes (undo / History states)
Deleted an important area by accident?
• Ctrl+Z undoes the most recent step.
• Stronger option: open the History panel (Window → History) and click any step to jump back to that state.
⑧ Create a selection & clipping mask
When the cutout is finished, right-click the duplicated layer → Create Clipping Mask from Layer (or press Ctrl+G to put it into a group) to separate the subject from the background.
⑨ Export a transparent PNG
File → Export → Save for Web (Legacy), then choose PNG‑24 in the dialog and tick Transparency.
Once saved, the cutout with its transparent background can be used directly in other projects.
🔚 Wrap-up & FAQ
- Why are the edges jagged after cutting out?
→ Lower the hardness a little, or smooth them afterwards with a mask + feather (Ctrl+Alt+G). - How do I wipe out a complicated background in one pass?
→ Rough it out with a big, quick brush first, then refine with the Magic Wand + filter and the eraser. - Can I use Photoshop on a phone or tablet?
→ Yes, but detailed eraser cutouts are better done on a computer or tablet with a stylus.
References
- Adobe Photoshop official documentation
- HTML5 and the principles of modern front-end image processing
- Online PS