Introduction to the Eraser Tool

Introduction to the Eraser Tool

Learn how to use the Eraser Tool in Photoshop to remove parts of an image. 

When to use

The Eraser Tool is a primitive tool for removing backgrounds or isolating parts of an image.

Instructions

Eraser Tool Basics

• Begin by selecting the Eraser Tool from the toolbar on the left.
• Just like our brushes, we have the ability to change the size, shape, and other settings to alter the appearance of the eraser.
• You can also adjust the Opacity, Flow, and Smoothing.

Eraser Tool In Use

• Open one of the photos from the resources folder and duplicate the 'Background' layer.
• Turn the visibility of the 'Background' layer off. 
• With your new, duplicate layer selected, press 'E' to switch back to the Eraser Tool and begin painting over parts of the background to reveal the transparency grid.
• Using the Eraser Tool like this will permanently remove these pixels, so this is why we created a copy of the original.
• The only other way to get the pixels back is to use the Undo command (Command/Ctrl+Z) or by using the History Panel to go back to the previous state.

Hints & tips

• The Eraser Tool is a basic way to remove backgrounds or parts of an image.
• Using the Eraser Tool is considered a 'destructive' workflow because once it removes pixels from an image, they are permanently removed.