Using Help
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224
Adobe Photoshop Help
Painting
Using Help
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Contents
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224
Using the eraser tool
The eraser tool changes pixels in the image as you drag through them. If you’re working in
the background or in a layer with transparency locked, the pixels change to the
background color; otherwise, the pixels are erased to transparency. You can also use the
eraser to return the affected area to a state selected in the History palette.
To use the eraser tool:
1
Select the eraser tool
.
2
Do the following in the options bar:
•
Choose a brush and set brush options (Photoshop), or choose a preset brush
(ImageReady). (See
“Working with brushes” on page 228
.) This option is not available
for Block mode.
•
Choose a mode for the eraser—Brush (Photoshop), Paintbrush (ImageReady), Airbrush
(ImageReady), Pencil, or Block.
•
Specify an opacity to define the strength of the erasure. An opacity of 100% erases
pixels completely. A lower opacity erases pixels partially. (This option is not available for
Block mode in Photoshop.)
•
(Photoshop) In Brush mode, specify a flow rate. (See
“Specifying opacity, flow, strength,
or exposure” on page 243
.)
•
(Photoshop) In Brush mode, click the airbrush button
to use the brush as an
airbrush. Alternately, select the Airbrush option in the Brushes palette. (See
“Creating
airbrush effects (Photoshop)” on page 239
.)
•
(Photoshop) To erase to a saved state or snapshot of the image, click the left column of
the state or snapshot in the History palette, then select Erase to History in the options
bar. (See
“Painting with a state or snapshot of an image (Photoshop)” on page 42
.)
(Photoshop) To temporarily use the eraser tool in Erase to History mode, hold down
Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) as you drag in the image.
3
Drag through the area you want to erase.
Using the magic eraser tool
When you click in a layer with the magic eraser tool, the tool automatically changes all
similar pixels. If you’re working in the background, or in a layer with locked transparency,
the pixels change to the background color; otherwise, the pixels are erased to trans-
parency. You can choose to erase contiguous pixels only or all similar pixels on the
current layer.
Example of erasing similar pixels