How to Remove the Background from an Image?

Remove the background from an image

Picture this: you’re working on a presentation, but there’s a problem. You want to include logos and icons in your PowerPoint, but they all have backgrounds and it’s totally messing up the clean and consistent look you’re going for. 

Sound familiar? 

We’ve all been there! And we know how frustrating it is when you have a clear idea of how you want your presentation to look but can’t figure out how to remove the background from a picture.

Easily edit your images and screen captures

Ready to quickly and easily remove the background from your images?

Download a free trial of Snagit
Snagit icon

Fortunately though, making an image background transparent isn’t as tricky as it sounds. Whether you’re using an advanced editing suite like Photoshop or a handy tool like TechSmith’s Snagit, there are plenty of ways to make backgrounds transparent. In fact, Snagit can remove the background from your image in just a few clicks! 

So whether you’re a Photoshop wizard or simply dipping your toes into graphic design, this guide will walk you through the process of background removal. You’ll have your images looking just the way you want them, in no time.

How to make a picture’s background transparent with Snagit

It’s worth noting that Snagit isn’t quite as sophisticated as a professional editing program like Photoshop, and it may struggle removing more complex backgrounds. 

However, if you aren’t familiar with the more high-end (and complex) tools, Snagit isa great alternative to make a background transparent. 

So, without further ado, let’s take a look at how to make the background of a picture transparent with Snagit. 

Easily edit your images and screen captures

Ready to quickly and easily remove the background from your images?

Download a free trial of Snagit
Snagit icon

Step 1: Insert the image into the editor

Start by taking a screenshot with Snagit, or uploading an image from the File menu. Images that have white or solid color backgrounds (or high-contrast backgrounds) usually work best.

An image of the Snagit editor featuring a black and white teacup.

Step 2: Next, click the Fill button on the toolbar and choose Transparent

Adding transparent to quick styles.

If you need to add the Transparent Fill option to your Quick Styles for the first time, it’s pretty simple. All you need to do is click the Fill Color option in the Tool Properties and select Transparent Fill.

You are now one step closer to removing the background from your image.

How to make transparent a default fill option.

Step 3: Adjust your tolerance as needed

If you find that the Fill tool is removing too much, or not enough, of your background then you might need to play around with the tolerance settings. 

Adjusting the tolerance is easy, and the simpler your background is, the easier it’ll be to get right. However, if you’ve got a complicated background with lots of colors and shades, it might be a little trickier. 

For example, if you have an image with lots of similar shades and gradients in the background you may end up with some bleeding around the parts of the image you want to keep.

Showing how to adjust the tolerance and opacity of a fill.

When adjusting the fill tolerance, keep in mind that 1% is the most strict setting, and 100% means it will pretty much wash out your entire image. 

Meanwhile, adjusting the opacity will dictate how transparent you want your fill to be. The more opaque, the less transparent it will be. In other words, if you want to erase the background from your image completely, go with 0%.

Ready to Embrace Asynchronous Communication?

How do we have fewer, better meetings? We decided it was time to reboot our meeting culture and communication norms at TechSmith.

Download now!
cover of report about asynchronous communication

Step 4: Click the background areas you want to remove

If you’re editing a screenshot or a PNG image, any background you remove will become transparent by default. However, if you’re working with a different file format, like a JPG, you’ll need to adjust your background color in the Snagit editor, or it will default to white rather than transparent.

To do this, simply click Image > Canvas Color (on Windows) or Image > Change Canvas Color… (on Mac).

Step 5: Save your image as a PNG

Once you’ve finished making the transparent background on your image, make sure you export it as a PNG file. 

Each file format is different — so it’s worth taking the time to understand image file formats — but PNG is one of the few formats that supports transparent pixels. If you don’t save your image as a PNG, your background will probably turn white. 

And that’s all there is to it! You now know how to get rid of the background of a picture in just a few steps. This is a great skill for creating a seamless look for your documents, marketing materials, and presentations.

Removing the background of a picture, the FAQs

How to remove white background from an image?

If you want to know how to get rid of a white background in an image, you’ll be glad to know that TechSmith’s Snagit makes it super quick and easy. First, import your image into Snagit and click the Magic Wand tool from the toolbar. Then, click on the white background to select it — while making sure the Background Fill is set to Transparent — and hit Delete.

How to remove white background from an image in Illustrator?

To remove a white background in Illustrator, place your image in the workspace and reveal the transparency grid by clicking on the View menu and selecting Show Transparency Grid.
Next, open the Image Trace window, select your image with the Selection Tool, and choose the appropriate preset in the Image Trace window. Then, convert the image into a vector by clicking Object > Expand, and use the Direct Selection tool to select and delete the background.
Finally export your file as a PNG or EPS, while ensuring the Background Transparent box is checked.

How to remove white background from an image in Photoshop?

Perhaps the easiest way to remove a white background in Adobe Photoshop is to use the Magic Wand tool, which is perfect for white backgrounds.
First, make sure the image layer is unlocked. Then, with the Magic Wand tool selected, click on the white area you wish to remove. Once selected, hit Delete on your keyboard before exporting your image as a PNG.

How to remove white background from an image in Canva?

To remove a white background in Canva, upload your image, click on the Effects tab, and select Background Remover. 
It’s worth noting that this feature is only available to Canva Pro users.

Danielle Ezell

Danielle Ezell is a Marketing Content Strategist at TechSmith, where she writes about effective workplace communication, offering tips and strategies for using images and videos to collaborate more effectively in hybrid and remote environments.

Subscribe to TechSmith’s Newsletter

Join over 200,000 people who get actionable tips and expert advice every month in the TechSmith Newsletter.

Subscribe