Foreground vs background

PK
Posted By
Philip_Kaszerman
Nov 1, 2005
Views
230
Replies
2
Status
Closed

1. Does anyone know why the names foreground and background became applied to colors? They certainly have nothing to do with the background or foreground of an image
2. Also some authors refer to the foreground of an image. Do they mean the currently selected layer? If so, am I looking at the foreground or background after I blend layers?
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C
chrisjbirchall
Nov 1, 2005
It’s because if you paint with a brush, or do a fill, it will use the Foreground Colour and if you (say) extend the canvas it will by default be filled with the Background Colour.

But I agree, they are confusing labels. Add to this, that fact an image file has a "Background" layer and, in a portrait for instance, you have a subject photographed against a "Background".

Too many "Backgrounds"!

Talking (or writing) about it can become really confusing. For instance: working on the background layer, you could select the background (in the picture) and fill it with the background colour!!

Or you could even have a background filled with the foreground colour on the Background layer.

ARRRGGGGGGGggggg! Adobe: Are you listening? It’s time to rename them!

How about The Base layer instead of the Background Layer? And Swatch 1 and Swatch 2 instead of the Foreground/Background colours?

Then we could reserve the term background for the backdrop to the subjects in our pictures – as has been the correct (photographic) use of the word since Fox Talbot was a lad.

Chris.
PK
Philip_Kaszerman
Nov 1, 2005
Well said. I feel better already.

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