About Photobacks

What does Photobacks sell?
Photobacks sells three main types of items. They are: 1) Digital Backdrops, also known as Digital Backgrounds, 2) Digital Templates, also known as Photoshop Templates or Digital Overlays, and 3) Video Tutorials. We sell these items either in individual volumes or in multi-volume packages. Some of our packages include all of these items, whereas some only include one type of item, such as only digital backdrops or only digital templates.
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What software do I need to work with Photobacks products?
Several different softwares will work with our products, however not every software will work with all of our items. For example, while our digital backdrops will work with FXHome PhotoKey software, it will not work with our digital templates. Also, for example, PhotoKey is only for photographers who shoot with a chroma key background, such as a green screen, and not for those who want to remove non-chroma key backgrounds, such as a living room or a street. Also note, while some softwares allow you to remove normal backgrounds from photos, they will not allow you to add a digital background, thus you would need another software to incorporate one of our backgrounds. The software that will work with all of our items is Adobe Photoshop (any version, including all CS versions and Elements 4 and higher). However, if you do shoot against a chroma key, you might find other softwares, such as FXHome PhotoKey, will do a better job and make it easier to remove a green screen chroma key background, and thus having both softwares to work with would be a great benefit when using our products. For more information, see our Recommended Softwares.
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Will all of your products work with a Windows PC and a Mac?
Yes, all of our digital files, including our backdrops, templates, videos and action files are fully compatible and will work perfectly on both a Windows PC or a Mac.
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Digital Backdrops

What are Digital Backdrops?
Digital backdrops, also known as digital backgrounds, are digital images that are mainly used to replace the background of a photo, whether your photo is shot in your living room, a studio or against a chroma key -- the original background is removed (using the appropriate photo editing software) and the digital background is put in its place. Whether you're a professional photographer shooting in a studio or a casual shooting taking everyday photos, using the appropriate photo editing software (which we do not provide or sell), you can swap out the background and put in a Photobacks digital backdrop, giving your photos an impressive, new and professional look. For professional photographers, there's no need to buy expensive muslin backdrops or scenery for your studio, or travel long distances to find the perfect location. You can also use digital backdrops as design elements in digital template or digitally designed projects, such as digital scrapbooking. With Photobacks digital backdrops, you've got thousands of backgrounds at your disposal, or amazing graphic designs for every occasion, including beautiful studio replications, outstanding scenics, and much more! For more information of the appropriate photo editing software for your needs, see our Recommended Softwares. To see what you can do with your photos and Photobacks, see our Sample Gallery.
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How does it work?
Using an appropriate photo editing software, such as Adobe Photoshop or Corel Paint Shop Pro, and your digital photos, you basically erase or remove the backgrounds of your photos and replace them with a digital backdrop. There are many different ways this can be done and certain softwares allow you different ways to do it. See our Tutorials section for more information on using the above mentioned softwares. There are other specialty softwares that allow you to remove the background of a photo. Please contact us should you have further questions or need further guidance.
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What software do I need to use digital backdrops?
In short, we recommend any version of Adobe Photoshop, or if you're shooting photos with a chroma key, such as a green screen, we recommend FXHome PhotoKey. For more details, please see our Tips section, under Picking a Software. There are several softwares that work well with digital backdrops. If you have a question about a particular software that we don't mention here, please contact us.
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Can I use any photo with digital backdrops, or do I need a green or blue screen (chromakey)?
You do not need to use a green or blue screen or chromakey in order to use digital backdrops. Using a photo editing software, such Adobe Photoshop, will allow you to remove the background of any photo. However, many professional photographers are already set up with chroma keys or white backgrounds in their studios, so replacing those backgrounds digitally with a digital backdrop can be quite easy and beneficial. Please see our Tutorials section for step-by-step instructions on how to work with any photo, with or without a chromakey, in a software such as Adobe Photoshop or Corel Paint Shop Pro.
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If I do use a chromakey, what's the best color to use?
We recommend white, green, blue, or black. However, for some softwares, you may need to use green and green only. Double-check with the make of your software to confirm what colors can be easily keyed out. For more details, please see our Tips section,
under Using a Chromakey.
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Is it hard to work with digital backdrops?
When you first start, you may find the process a bit challenging, especially if you're not familiar with your photo editing software you're using. However, with a little practice (and it won't take long), you will be making beautiful photo creations. The more you work with digital backdrops, the easier it will be and the better your photos will look. Take your time and enjoy the process. If you have any questions, please contact us. For a sample of what you can do with digital backdrops, please see our Sample Gallery.
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Can I use .jpg file photos?
Yes. Basically, you'll open up your photo in your photo editing software along with our digital backdrops. Then, you'll be able to work with any file format and save your images in any file format you wish, without a problem. Our digital backdrops are in the .tif file format because it allows us to give you the highest quality images possible, with no quality loss upon saving or transfer to you. However, you can save your work along with our digital backdrops in any file format you choose. For more details on saving your images, please see our Tips section, under Saving Your Work.
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Digital Templates

What are digital templates?
Digital templates, also known as Photoshop Templates or Digital Overlays, are digital images that act as a template or frame for your photo. You simply slide in your photo using the appropriate photo editing software and you're good to go. With digital templates, there isn't much work to be done, unlike with digital backgrounds. With digital templates, you don't have to remove the background of your photo -- all you do is add your photo to the template and it's ready for printing or sharing. To see a great example of this, check out our Holiday Templates Pack #01.
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What file format are your digital templates?
All of our digital templates are in the Adobe Photoshop .psd file format.
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What software do I need to use your digital templates?
To use our digital templates, we recommend any version of Adobe Photoshop, including the CS line and Elements 4 and higher. There are other softwares, such as Corel Paint Shop Pro, GIMP, and some video editing softwares, that will open our digital templates, though for best results, we recommend using Adobe Photoshop. If you do not have Adobe Photoshop software, please contact us.
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Are your digital templates layered and completely customizable?
Yes, our digital templates are completely layered and customizable. We have done our best to leave just about every design element in a layer that you can choose to turn on or off or adjust. And of course, all of the text and fonts you see in our sample images can be changed in any of our digital templates to personalize your designs.
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