How to Change Background Size in Photoshop

There may be instances where you need to incorporate more elements to increase the background for framing. The good thing is that Photoshop lets you modify the dimensions of a canvas at any point in your editing process. Discover how to change background size in Photoshop for added functionality in your real estate photo editing workflow.

How to Change Background Size in Photoshop

To change background size in Photoshop, you first have to unlock the background, go to Image, click on Canvas Size, and set your desired dimensions in the width and height values. You can also adjust the Relative Values, apply the Trim Command, use the Crop tool, or enable the Reveal All function.

There are multiple methods that you can use to change the size of your canvas or background when post-processing real estate photos. Here, I will describe in detail how you can reform the size of the canvas using features and tools that will not affect the image quality.

Method 1: Canvas Size Command 

The primary feature for the size modification of your background is the Canvas Size feature.  To begin this process, load your image into Photoshop. 

Step 1: Unlock the Background Layer

When it comes to changing the size of your background, the initial step you need to take is to convert your background layer into a normal layer by unlocking it. 

Any methods you choose below can be used after the background is unlocked. To unlock the background layer, click the padlock icon beside the layer.

Step 2: Launch the Canvas Size Windows

To display space around the image, zoom out by pressing CTRL/CMD +.

To launch the Canvas size window, go to the Image menu and click on Canvas size. Alternatively, you can go to the keyboard shortcut and open the Canvas Size window by pressing CTRL/CMD+ ALT + C.

Step 3: Edit the Canvas Size

In the Canvas Size dialog, the first section tells you the current size of your canvas. It uses pixels as the measuring unit and states values for width and height. 

1. Below the Current Size, you can input the required size of your background in width and height. You can choose other measuring units besides Pixels like inches, millimeter, centimeter, points, or picas.
2. The measuring unit highly depends on how you want to use your image. If it is for web and social media posting, use Pixels. If it is for printing purposes, use Inches or Centimeters.
3. Type in the Pixels for width and height. For instance, 900 for the Width and 600 for the Height, depending upon where you want to use it. 
4. Select a set percentage that you want to decrease or increase.

Step 4: Position the Extended Background

You will see a visual asking you to opt for your anchor. It tells you how to position your extended background.

This is a handy feature, especially if you don't need to extend or compress your background from every side. Depending upon the edge that needs to change, you can opt for an anchor in any of the nine points. 

Suppose you want to extend the background from the left. In this case, set the anchor to the middle right on the right-hand side.

Step 5: Choose the Canvas Extension Color

When changing the background size and increasing its sides, deciding what color to fill it with is essential. Remember that the pixels on the canvas extension will remain transparent if your image is without a background.

1. To fill the transparent canvas edges, you can select the image inside using the Marquee tool and inverse the selection.
2. Fill it out using the Paint Bucket, Gradient, or Content Aware tool.
3. If you placed an image on a white background, you could select options from the drop-down menu in the Canvas Dialog. 
4. You can choose any custom colour depending on how you wish to use the extra work area. Remember that in case of decreasing the background size, Photoshop will crop the image.

Method 2: Adjust the Relative Values

The next method of changing the canvas size is also present in the Canvas Command. However, this is only ideal when evenly dividing the extended background into four sides.

1. You can see the Relative checkbox under the Width and Height value boxes. Using it will apply relative values for the new size.
2. The relative option is best used when you are using percentages. For example, input a positive value (for instance, 20%) to increase the size. To decrease the size, input a negative value (20%).

Method 3: Trim Command

When your image is smaller than the canvas size, you can use the Trim command to eliminate the areas with no information. The tool works like a real trimming tool where removing unwanted or useless pixels is entirely safe. 

1. Go to the Image menu, and select Trim from the drop-down menu. 
2. When a pop-up for trim appears, choose the Based On option as Transparent Pixels.
3. Hit OK. This action will trim the extra part of the image.

Method 4: Crop Tool

Using the Crop tool is another method to alter the background size in Photoshop.

Step 1: Copy the Background Layer

Open the image in Photoshop or load it by dragging and dropping it from the destination folder.

1. Copy the background layer by selecting the layer in the panel. 
2. Drag it to the bottom of the Layers panel, and release the cursor on the Create a New Layer icon.

Step 2: Use the Crop Tool to Adjust the Canvas Size

Select the Crop tool from the toolbar on the left, or press C on your keyboard to activate it.

1. When you select the Crop tool, you will notice that the transforming outlines are shown around the edges of the image. 
2. Drag the outlines to the required size and increase the canvas size accordingly.
3. To decrease the canvas size, drag the outline to the inner side.
4. Press on the check icon in the options bar at the top. This will confirm the cropping procedure. You can also press the Enter key on Windows or the Return key on Mac.

Method 5: Reveal All

When your image is larger than the canvas size, the Reveal All command will change the canvas size and make it big enough to accommodate every detail. In other words, your canvas becomes big enough to reveal a large image. 

1. Open Photoshop, go to File and click on New.
2. Select a template size. The Photoshop default size is 7x5 inches. Click on Create.
3. Drag and drop your image (with big dimensions) on this new document. You will notice that only a part of your image is visible. This shows that it is exceeding beyond the canvas size.
4. Go to the Image menu, and select Reveal All from the drop-down.
5. Photoshop will extend the size of the canvas to reveal the rest of the image.

Method 6: Fit Image Automatically to Canvas Size

Here are a few tips you can apply if you don’t want to go into the hassle of changing background size every time you work in Photoshop. 

These options allow non-destructive editing and ensure no loss of image quality, no matter how many times you scale it.

1. Drag and drop the image directly from the Explorer/Finder window into the Photoshop document. It will copy the picture as a Smart Object. The resizing doesn’t lose any pixels while maintaining image quality.
2. Go to Edit/Photoshop, click on Preferences, and choose General. 
3. Check Always Resize During Place, and Always Create a Smart Object on Placing.

Related Questions

Conclusion

I hope that my guide will help you learn the techniques of background resizing quickly and effectively when editing real estate images. Following any of the above methods will give you extra canvas space.