This page cuts out your subject and places it on a dark spotlight backdrop. Dark backgrounds are unforgiving of pale edges, so fringe removal starts higher than usual.
Dark backdrops to start from
The editor opens on a dark spotlight: near-black with a soft pool of light behind the subject. From the Background stage you can switch to flat black, charcoal, a dark studio sweep, a dark luxury spotlight for products or any color you like, and the spotlight designer lets you move the light and change its size and strength.
A reflection shadow in Finish puts a fading mirror image under products and shoes, which reads well on dark glossy surfaces.
Rim glow
On black, a subject can disappear into the backdrop where its own edges are dark: dark hair, a black jacket, a dark bottle. Rim glow, in the Finish stage, adds a soft light halo just outside the silhouette to separate it, in the way a rim light would in a studio. Width and color are adjustable, and it can be switched back to a hard outline for a graphic look.
The fringe check
A cut-out made from a photo with a light background keeps a trace of that light in its soft edges. On white you never notice; on black it shows as a thin bright line. Fringe removal is set high on this page, and the bar above the canvas flags wide soft edges. Use the On black view and zoom in on hair and corners before you save; if a line remains, push Remove fringe further or pull Shift edge in slightly.
Saving dark images
Dark, smooth backgrounds can show banding when compressed hard. Keep JPEG quality high or save PNG for a file you will edit further. The backdrop alone can be exported too, without the subject, if you want the plate for another picture.
Step by step
- Open a photo. The subject is cut out and placed on a dark spotlight.
- Pick a dark backdrop. Flat black, charcoal, a sweep or a spotlight.
- Separate the subject. Add Rim glow or a reflection in Finish.
- Check edges on black. Zoom in and raise Remove fringe if a light line shows.
- Save. High-quality JPEG or PNG.
Questions people ask
Why do I see a thin white line around my subject?
It is light from the original background left in the soft edges. Raise Remove fringe, or pull Shift edge inward a little, and check in the On black view.
Can I use pure black instead of a spotlight?
Yes. Choose Color in the Background stage and pick black, or any dark shade.
What is rim glow?
A soft halo of light just outside the subject's outline that separates dark edges from a dark backdrop. Turn it on in the Finish stage.
Why does my dark background look banded?
Strong JPEG compression can create steps in smooth dark gradients. Raise the quality slider or save as PNG.