Adobe Photoshop CS2 On Demand [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Working with the Eraser Tools

Photoshop's basic Eraser tool converts image pixels in a layer to transparent pixels. While the primary function of the eraser tool has not changed, it has been greatly improved upon. For example, you can use the eraser tool to remove a specific color or to erase around the edge of an image object. You can instruct the Eraser tool to remove a specific color while protecting another color and at the same time, increase or decrease the tools' tolerance (the range of selection). If you use the Eraser tool on a layered document, the tool will erase to transparency. If the Eraser tool is used on a flattened document (flattened documents do not support transparency), the Eraser tool will use the active background color to perform the eraser. As you can see, the eraser tools do more than blindly erase image information. As you master the eraser tools, you just may find those complicated image eraser jobs becoming easier and easier. The Background Eraser tool lets you select specific colors within an image and erase just those colors.

Use the Basic Eraser Tool

Select the

Eraser tool on the toolbox.

Click the

Brush list arrow, and then select a brush tip.

Click the

Mode list arrow, and then select a blending mode.

Enter an Opacity percentage value (1 to 100) to determine how much the eraser removes from the image.

Enter a Flow percentage value (1 to 100) to determine the length of the eraser stroke.

Click the

Airbrush button to change the solid eraser stroke of the eraser to that of an airbrush.

Select the

Erase To History check box to temporarily turn the Eraser into a History Brush.

Drag the Eraser over an image layer to convert the image pixels to transparent.

[View full size image]

[View full size image]

Use the Background Eraser Tool

Select the

Background Eraser tool on the toolbox.

Click the

Brush list arrow, and then select a brush tip.

Click one of the Sampling buttons (how the Background Erase selects the color range):

• 
  

  Continuous.
  Continually selects a color range as you drag the Eraser tool across the image.

• 
  

  Once.
  Sample a color range when you first click your mouse.

• 
  

  Background Swatch.
  Only erases the active background color.

  Click the

  Limits list arrow, and then click how far you want the erasing to spread:

• 
  

  Discontiguous.
  Lets the Eraser tool work with all similar color range pixels throughout the image.

• 
  

  Contiguous.
  Restricts the Eraser tool to the selected color range, without moving outside the originally sampled area.

• 
  

  Find Edges.
  Looks for a shift in color range and attempts to erase to the visual edge of the image.

Select a Tolerance percentage value (1 to 100). The higher the tolerance, the greater the range.

Select the

Protect Foreground Color check box to prevent that color from being erased.

Drag the image to erase.

[View full size image]

[View full size image]