How to Background Remove from a scanned Document and make it White Background using Adobe Photoshop, by Real Khan on YouTube. 1 min 24 s.
- Video length
- 1 min 24 s
- Time to do it
- 5 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Open your scan in Photoshop with File > Open, then go to Layer > Duplicate Layer so the original image stays untouched.
Add a Levels adjustment with Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Levels. In older versions such as CS6, use Image > Adjustments > Levels instead.
In the Levels panel, pick the white point eyedropper and click a light grey area of the paper, away from text, stamps or signatures.
Check the result. If the paper is still grey, drag the white slider on the right of the histogram to the left until the background turns white.
If dark smudges or shading remain, choose Select > Color Range, click the grey background, set Fuzziness to about 40 and click OK.
Fill the selection with white using Edit > Fill > White, or press Delete if the layer is unlocked. Then press Ctrl+D to deselect.
For small specks, run Filter > Noise > Dust & Scratches with Radius set to 1 or 2 pixels and Threshold around 5.
If the text has gone faint or broken, reopen Levels and pull the white slider back to the right a little.
Save the cleaned file with File > Save As, choose PDF or JPEG, and give it a new name so your original scan is kept.
Tips and common mistakes
Scan at 300 dpi or higher, since a low resolution scan loses thin letters when you brighten it.
Click the white eyedropper on blank paper, never on the text, or the letters will turn white too.
Work on a duplicate layer so you can delete it and start again if the text fades.
Grey paper often comes from light leaking around the scanner lid, so press the page flat against the glass.
Questions
Why is my background still grey after using Levels?
The white point was set too low or the grey is uneven across the page. Set the white point again on the darkest grey patch of paper, then drag the white slider a little further left.
Can I do this in Photoshop Elements?
Yes. In Photoshop Elements open Enhance > Adjust Lighting > Levels, then drag the white slider left until the paper turns white and click OK.
Does this work on a photo of a document taken with my phone?
Often yes, but uneven lighting is harder to fix. Run Levels first, then use Color Range or the Dodge tool to even out any dark corners.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
