How to Remove the Background from an Image for Free
Howto & Style
Introduction
There are many reasons you might want to remove the background from a photo or design. It could be to put your logo on your website or to create an Instagram design. At our company, we remove backgrounds almost every day to create YouTube banners, thumbnails, and watermarks. For us, the easiest way to do this is using Canva Pro, where we create most of our designs. However, the background removal feature is only available with the paid version of Canva.
A few years ago, I created a video showcasing several free options for removing backgrounds, such as using remove.bg, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Word. Despite their usefulness, these tools often come with limitations, especially concerning the quality of the images and accurately selecting which parts to keep and remove. Here, I'll introduce you to a few better, 100% free alternatives so you can avoid low-quality images when using free tools like remove.bg.
Option 1: Try Canva Pro for 45 Days for Free
The first option is to try Canva Pro for free for 45 days (the standard free trial is 30 days). You can get the extended trial by using an affiliate link. While this isn't a permanent solution, it's excellent if you need to quickly create a few designs or complete a project. Just remember to downgrade to the free version once your trial period ends.
Option 2: erase.bg
The second option is erase.bg, which allows you to remove the background from images up to 5000x5000 pixels in resolution. This tool works well for photos of people and animals but struggles with designs like our YouTube watermark. The free version doesn't allow you to edit which parts of the image to keep or remove, making it somewhat limited for complex projects.
Option 3: Adobe Express
The third and my favorite option is Adobe Express. It allows you to remove the background while maintaining the original image resolution. It works well for photos of people, pets, and designs. Although Adobe Express encourages you to upgrade for additional features, you can still remove backgrounds for free without losing image quality. However, you can't edit what it determines to be the background in the free version.
Now that you have your image background removed, it's time to create amazing designs using the free version of Canva.
Hope to see you in another guide!
Keywords
- Background Removal
- Canva Pro
- Remove.bg
- erase.bg
- Adobe Express
- Free Tools
- High Resolution Image
- Design
FAQs
1. How long is the Canva Pro free trial?
The Canva Pro free trial usually lasts for 30 days, but you can extend it to 45 days using an affiliate link.
2. What are the limitations of remove.bg?
Remove.bg provides a lower resolution image for free, and you need to use credits for high-resolution downloads. The accuracy of background removal may also be an issue.
3. Can I edit the part of the image to keep with Adobe Express?
No, Adobe Express does not allow you to edit the selected background in the free version.
4. Does erase.bg support high-resolution images?
Yes, erase.bg supports images up to 5000x5000 pixels. However, it doesn't offer background editing options in the free version.
5. What are common uses for background removal?
Common uses include adding logos to websites, creating social media designs, and generating YouTube banners, thumbnails, and watermarks.