Skip to main content
Jessicaw1988-BlbAUn
Jessicaw1988-BlbAUn
Participant
September 5, 2016
Question

How to use the paint bucket without getting white edges around the paint?

  • September 5, 2016
  • 6 replies
  • 89570 views

Hello everyone.

This is my first post on the forum, Photoshop-wise I'm still a beginner.

I have a question:

When I use the paint bucket to color something, white edges appear between the outline and the colored area.

Example:

https://s6.postimg.io/af4fxj6e7/jongen_hoofd_blij_achtergrond.jpg

(As you see, the problem is especially visible in the black hair of the boy).

[Cropped image added by mod]

How can I fix this?

Thanks in advance!

Jessica

6 replies

C
Crxscent
Participant
May 23, 2020

Hiya! I've found that using the pencil tool (right click the brush tool) fixes this issue immediately! I suffered from this ages ago until I found a tutorial on how to do pixel art in Photoshop. I saw that when you fill in an area outlined with the pencil tool, it gives you a nice, clean fill! 

Or, if you prefer the brush tool, you can use the bucket tool on the outline first and then fill in the area. If you have any questions, you can just reply with them 👍

    Roei Tzoref
    Roei Tzoref
    Legend
    June 27, 2019

    try this method:

    1. make sure you have a background layer
    2. use the magic wand tool, set to: 100 tolerance, make a selection
    3. create a solid layer
    4. place it before the stroke layer in the layer stack

    now you have perfect selection and flexibility in the color

    like this:

      EclecticaJess
      EclecticaJess
      Participant
      March 29, 2020

      This is the answer I was looking for. Thank you!!!

      Chuck Uebele
      Community Expert
      Chuck UebeleCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      October 20, 2018

      I agree with everyone else about using layers and the magic wand tool. I would use the magic wand tool, then use Selection>Modify>Grow, to expand your selection. Then. Rate a new layer behind your line layer. Then fill the selection. This will make the fill slightly larger than the line and then since the line is above the fill layer it will block the oversized portions, and there won't be any white lines.

      You can create an action for most of this, so it would make it faster, with less key clicks.

        A
        Anonymous
        December 15, 2020

        Thank you, this is what I was looking for!

          Jessicaw1988-BlbAUn
          Jessicaw1988-BlbAUnAuthor
          Participant
          September 24, 2016

          Thanks for all the help everyone! I'm currenly busy with the Photoshop Layers Tutorials. When I've finished them I'll make an attempt to draw the boy in the 'good' way and post it here to make sure whether I did it the right way.

          Trevor.Dennis
          Community Expert
          Trevor.DennisCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          September 24, 2016

          I have not noticed any mention of anti aliasing in this thread, so you might like to think about line density.  This illustrates it.  The fully hard retaining line on the left, fills much better than the fully soft on the right.  I actually tried this with Tolerance settings of 1 and 200, and it made hardly any difference.

          If you are looking at a comic book effect, then using filled selections is not going to work for you.  I was going to use the old 'What the Duck' strip as an example of loose edge fidelity, but it is looking a lot tighter than I remembered it.

            c.pfaffenbichler
            Community Expert
            c.pfaffenbichlerCommunity Expert
            Community Expert
            September 7, 2016

            Photoshop’s Paint Bucket Tool is generally best avoided completely in my opinion.

            Using Selections (created with the appropriate Tools, Magic Wand Tool for example) as the basis for Layer Masks might make more sense with regard to continued editability.

            What is the Layer structure of the image?

              Jessicaw1988-BlbAUn
              Jessicaw1988-BlbAUnAuthor
              Participant
              September 7, 2016

              "Using Selections (created with the appropriate Tools, Magic Wand Tool for example) as the basis for Layer Masks might make more sense with regard to continued editability."

              How do you mean? Do you have an example screenshot of that?

              There is no layer structure in my image: I drew the black outline of the boy and then painted the image in and outside that outline with the paint bucket tool, all in the same layer.

              Barb Binder
              Community Expert
              Barb BinderCommunity Expert
              Community Expert
              September 7, 2016

              Using multiple layers will allow you to build an images in a way that will be much easier to edit if (when?) you need to make changes down the road. When you get a chance, here are some good tutorials: Photoshop Layers Tutorials

              ~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training
                davescm
                Community Expert
                davescmCommunity Expert
                Community Expert
                September 5, 2016

                Welcome to the forum Jessica

                Increase the tolerance value on the paint bucket options bar.

                Dave

                  Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
                  Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices