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Anonymous
Dec 8, 2025 10:37 AM UTC
Answered

Deleting layer doesn't clear the space

Hello,

I'm trying to delete a layer to replace the background (to fill the tablecloth with a pattern), but when I delete it, the space is not empty (I mean, there is no usual chessboard, but some random colour)... How could I solve it?

ps. please, don't judge the drawing, I'm learning!

D Fosse
D FosseCorrect answer
Community Expert
Sep 25, 2026 6:14 PM UTC

It looks like you’ve filled the selection with your current foreground color. Don’t know how that happened, but the keyboard shortcut for that is Alt+Delete.

 

First make sure you have an active selection (“marching ants”). Next,

  • pressing Delete on a floating layer will “punch out” the selected area, so that the underlying layer shows.
  • pressing Delete on a Background layer will bring up the Fill dialog with options, because a Background layer cannot contain transparency.

 

However, the above is a destructive, one-time-only operation. It’s generally much better to work with masks, where you can go back and tweak/improve the mask at any time later. The result is exactly the same, just with much more flexibility. 

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5 replies

D Fosse
Community Expert
D FosseCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
Sep 25, 2026 6:14 PM UTC

It looks like you’ve filled the selection with your current foreground color. Don’t know how that happened, but the keyboard shortcut for that is Alt+Delete.

 

First make sure you have an active selection (“marching ants”). Next,

  • pressing Delete on a floating layer will “punch out” the selected area, so that the underlying layer shows.
  • pressing Delete on a Background layer will bring up the Fill dialog with options, because a Background layer cannot contain transparency.

 

However, the above is a destructive, one-time-only operation. It’s generally much better to work with masks, where you can go back and tweak/improve the mask at any time later. The result is exactly the same, just with much more flexibility. 

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Srishti_Bali
Srishti_Bali
Legend
Dec 8, 2025 11:18 AM UTC

Hi @47059274

 

Thank you for your message. The screenshot you provided displays two layers; could you please specify which one you would like to remove? Additionally, we would appreciate it if you could share before-and-after screenshots along with the operating system and version of Photoshop you are using.

 

Regards,

Srishti

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Anonymous
Dec 8, 2025 11:51 AM UTC

Hi Srishti,

Thank you for your answer. I attach the screenshot of a stage before deleting the cut layer (and before adding the pattern which I'd like to use to fill in the cleared space) and the view after deleting. My operating system is Windows 11 and my Photoshop is 26.11.2 20251117.r.31 3a0fcf4 x64.

Regards,

Julia

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Srishti_Bali
Srishti_Bali
Legend
Dec 16, 2025 6:01 PM UTC

Hi @47059274

 

Based on the current layer structure, this behavior appears to be expected, as this is how the file is set up. However, the screenshot you shared earlier showed a different layer, including a red background. Could you please confirm whether you created this file yourself or if it was shared with you by a client or someone else? Also, could you clarify the expected result you’re aiming for—are you looking to completely remove the white area?

 

 

 

 

Regards,

Srishti

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