How to use the auto background remover
- Choose or drop a photo. You can also paste an image from the clipboard. The first time takes a moment because the required files have to download.
- After a few seconds the result appears with the background made transparent. Use the edge position and edge softness sliders to control how much is removed and how the edge feels.
- Rub out leftover specks or restore wrongly removed parts with the eraser or restore brush under Brush touch-up. Save as PNG when you like it.
How the cutout is made
A cutout means keeping only the subject of a photo and removing the background. It used to be done by hand with lasso or pen tools, but here image analysis finds the most eye-catching object in the photo. It reads a reduced copy of the photo and, for every point, calculates how likely it belongs to the subject as a value from 0 to 1, producing a black and white map. The whiter an area, the more it should be kept, and the blacker, the more it should be removed.
This map is enlarged to the original size and used as the transparency of the photo, which gives a PNG with a transparent background. The edge position slider sets how confident the model must be before a point is kept, and edge softness sets how smoothly the uncertain range around that threshold is blended. Shrinking the edge is useful when a faint rim of the background looks like a halo. Because the reduced map has blunt edges, it is then refined to follow the brightness changes of the original photo, and background color left on the rim is covered with color from the inside to reduce halos. The photo is also analyzed once more flipped left to right and the two results are combined, which reduces wobble in the outline.
All of this is calculated inside the browser of your phone or computer. The photo is not sent to a server, so there is no upload wait and the photo never leaves your device. Because your phone or computer does the work, the first run needs to download the required files, and very large photos are reduced to 2,000 pixels on the long side.
Ideas and limits
You can remove the background of a product photo for a marketplace or shop and place it on a clean white background, or cut people and objects into slides and card news. Turning on Include the preview background color when saving saves the image with a white or custom background already filled in. Trim transparent margins crops the result to the exact size of the subject.
It can also be used to change the background of a profile photo or ID picture, but for official documents check the size and background color rules of the place you submit to first. To make a sticker, remove the background with this tool and then add a white outline with the sticker outline maker. If the background is a single color such as green or white, the Chroma Key tool often removes it more precisely.
This tool is built to find the most eye-catching object, so it works well on objects with clear outlines such as people, animals, products and food. Transparent objects such as glasses, fine hair or fur, subjects whose color is close to the background, and photos with long shadows may get rough edges. In those cases raise the edge softness and touch it up with the brush and the result is usually good enough.
When you check the result, switch the preview background between white, black and a color. Background leftovers or halos that were hard to see on the checkerboard show up on a dark background. Brush touch-up blocks page scrolling over the photo, so switch it back to Off when you finish touching up to scroll again.
When you work on several photos in a row, the required files are already ready from the second photo, so results come much faster. You can also save a photo and upload it again to remove only the remaining background once more. Choosing a photo with a simple background in a different color from the subject is the best way to get a good result.
When you take the photo, keep some distance between the subject and the background and light it evenly for a cleaner result. An object with a similar color behind the subject is likely to be kept too, so shoot in front of a plain wall or cloth if possible. Backlit photos with dark outlines can get blurry edges, so let light fall on the face and body.
Tips for clean cutouts
- Photos with clear outlines and simple backgrounds give the best results.
- Start the edge position at 50%, raise it if background remains and lower it if the subject is cut.
- Clear separate specks in one go with Keep only the largest object.
- For fine areas, reduce the brush size and alternate the eraser and restore.
- Before saving, switch the preview to a dark background to check there is no halo.
FAQ
Is my photo uploaded to a server?
No. The files needed for the analysis are served as files of this site and all calculation happens inside your browser. The photo is not uploaded anywhere, so even sensitive photos such as ID or family pictures can be handled with more peace of mind.
Why does it take longer the first time?
The first time, the required files (about 16 MB) have to be downloaded. After that your browser keeps them, so later starts are much faster. Analyzing a photo usually takes a few seconds even on a phone.
Hair or fur edges look rough.
This tool is lightweight, so fine hair, fur and the edges of transparent objects may not be perfect. First check that precise edge refinement is on, then raise the edge softness a little to blend the edge, or touch it up with the eraser and restore brushes. If you need precise hair separation, a professional editor is more accurate.
Some background or specks remain.
Raising the edge position removes more of the uncertain areas. Turning on Keep only the largest object clears separate small specks in one go. For what is left, rub it out with the eraser brush. If the background is a single color, the Chroma Key tool can remove it more cleanly.
What about photos with several subjects?
This tool looks for the most eye-catching objects in a photo, so it usually keeps several subjects together. Keep only the largest object may remove smaller subjects too, so it is better to leave it off for group photos.
Notes & limitations
This is a simple tool that runs in the browser and cannot cut out hair or transparent objects perfectly. Photos are processed only in the browser and are not sent to a server. Check portrait and copyright rights yourself. For documents that require official judgment, follow the instructions of the place you submit to.