You may want to eliminate the background from a picture for a variety of reasons. For example, some images would be much more suitable for your PowerPoint presentation, blog post, or call-to-action if you could just remove that pesky background to highlight the object or eliminate the distracting details. Or maybe you have a bunch of stock images in your Google Drive that could also do with a transparent background.
Whatever the case may be, you will need to learn how to take out the background from the image or photo without destroying the file or leaving traces behind. The good news is that it’s possible to remove the background in your picture, and you can easily get it done in no time. How? By taking the following steps:
1. Use Canva
If you’re planning to use an image with an invisible background (this is often done when the image is a small part of a bigger design, like a poster or site), consider using Canva. The online tool has a free version and makes removing the background from an image a breeze. Once you’ve uploaded the image to Canva, click the Background option on the left and choose one of the pre-existing background templates. There are a variety of transparent ones available, and they can even be edited through the settings menu of the app.
P.S. It’s also simple to add a transparent image as a background using the app’s integration capabilities.
2. Go to clippingmagic.com
Clipping Magic is one of the best background remover tools in existence. It comes with even more tools and features than some of its closest competitors. Using its background remover tool, you can choose the areas you want to delete or keep. In addition, you can refine the edges of your picture with the help of dedicated tools, add reflections and shadows, and even adjust the color of your picture. In places where the edges look too noisy, feel free to us Clipping Magic’s scalpel tool to perform a manual adjustment.
3. Take Background Burner for a spin
Background Burner is another free web app that can be used to remove the background from simple images. After the removal process is complete, the tool will generate 3 or more versions of the images. From the presented versions, you can select the best image. So, if the uploaded image isn’t complex, you’ll likely find the ideal image. Background Burner also provides you with an abilty to touch up nearly perfect photos using the Touchup button. Pick from 3 brushes, CTRL + Z the steps, zoom the photos to mark them, and then use Pixel Tools to take away the background. It’s one of the quickest ways to remove a picture’s background (nothing is faster than just performing a few steps).
4. Use the good old Microsoft Office
Did you know that MS Word, PowerPoint and Excel can also be used to remove an image’s background? The process is the same for all three applications. You can get started by inserting an image into the file. Once that’s done, select “Picture Format” > “Remove Background.” The app will now attempt to identify the background and label it in the color purple. Simple images will see their backgrounds removed in the next step. However, you’ll need to use the Mark Areas to Remove option for complex images. Please note that the marker present in Microsoft Office apps is not the most intuitive.
5. Don’t forget to use Photoshop
If you have Photoshop, then simply use that to remove the background. Select Create New and import your image to get started. Next, create a new session by clicking Select and then Select and Mask. You’ll now get access to brush, refine-edge, and quick selection tools. Now, make sure to select Onion Skin View to make the image somewhat transparent. Use the quick selection tool to mark the areas that you want there in the images. Then use the refine-edge tool to mark the finer details you want to keep. Then change the view to “On Black.” Next, hold Option on Mac or Alt on Windows to select the areas to be eliminated. Lastly, save your Edits as a Layer Mask. That’s how you remove a background in Photoshop.
Conclusion
Removing the background from a picture doesn’t need to be difficult. With the help of the right tools, you just have to spend 5-10 minutes on the job. Depending on what tools you have access to or are comfortable with, the results are going to vary. Online tools, with the exception of Canva, may not be able to provide the best results, so you may want to use Photoshop or Microsoft Office for the purpose. That said, test a variety of tools and see what works best in your case. Also, if any of these tools slow your systems down, try our tips for speeding up your computer. Good luck!