Background Remover

How the cut-out is made

The tool runs an image-segmentation model called IS-Net inside your browser, through the open-source background-removal library from IMG.LY. The model looks at the whole photo and predicts, pixel by pixel, how likely each one is to belong to the foreground. That prediction becomes a transparency mask: subject pixels stay fully visible, background pixels become transparent, and edge pixels — hair, fur, soft focus — get partial transparency so they blend smoothly onto a new background.

The model files are downloaded from IMG.LY's content delivery network the first time you use the tool and are then cached by your browser. Your photo is processed on your own device and is never uploaded.

Photos that work best — and the tricky cases

Shadows count as background and are removed. That's usually what you want, but a product can look as if it's floating afterwards — adding a soft shadow in your design tool brings back a sense of weight.

Using the transparent PNG

• Online shops: marketplaces often require product images on a pure white background. Place the cut-out on a white canvas and export it as JPG.
• Profile pictures: put yourself on a flat brand colour so you're recognisable even at small sizes.
• Presentations and documents: PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Slides and Word all support PNG transparency, so the subject sits directly on the slide design.
• Keep the PNG as your master. Converting to JPG fills the transparency with a solid colour, so only do it for the final export.