Remove and replace a background
Cut a subject out of a photo with an automatic AI model, clean up the edges by hand, then place it in front of a new backdrop.
Before you start
You need to be signed in with a workspace open, and a photo with a reasonably clear subject on a plain or contrasting background. The AI model runs entirely in your browser and downloads on first use, so the first removal on a given session takes a little longer than the rest.
Step 1: Add your photo
Bring your photo onto the canvas: upload it from the media panel, or drag it in directly. Select it once it's placed.
Step 2: Remove the background
With the image selected, right-click it and choose Remove Background, or open the dropdown on the floating toolbar above the image and pick Classic Remove BG. A machine-learning model runs locally, no upload, no server round-trip, to detect the subject and erase everything else. The first use downloads the model (roughly 30 to 50 MB) and shows a progress overlay: loading, then a download percentage, then processing. Only one removal runs at a time, so wait for it to finish before starting another.
| Works best with | Works less well with |
|---|---|
| A single subject with good contrast against its background | Multiple overlapping subjects |
| A sharp, well-lit photo | Low contrast between subject and background |
| Heavy motion blur |
After the cutout, the result is trimmed to its visible pixel bounds rather than keeping the original canvas size, and its silhouette is remembered, so if you add a stroke to the image afterward, the stroke follows the actual cutout outline instead of a rectangular box. See Image editing for how this compares to Punch Out with Frame, a faster, non-AI alternative for when you already have an exact shape to cut to.
Two buttons share a similar name
The Layers panel also has a small Remove Background button on the page's own "Background Image" row. That one clears the page's backdrop image entirely, it has nothing to do with cutting a subject out of a photo. Use the right-click or floating-toolbar option on the image itself for an AI cutout.
Step 3: Clean up the edges
If the AI cutout leaves a stray patch or misses a wisp of hair, select the image and open the Eraser. The image is temporarily shown against a checkerboard so you can see exactly what is transparent as you paint. Paint over anything left behind, using a brush size from 3 to 100 px, then click Apply to bake the touch-up in, or Cancel to discard it and keep the AI result as it was.
Step 4: Add a new background
Two ways to place a new backdrop behind your cutout, pick whichever fits your design:
Use the page background. Click an empty part of the canvas to deselect everything, open the Background tab (Alt+3), and choose solid, gradient, or image. It renders behind every object on the page automatically, so if your cutout is the only object on the canvas, no layer reordering is needed. See Backgrounds, patterns, and gradients for gradient and pattern options.
Place another object behind it. Add a new image or shape, then select it and press [ to send it backward, one step at a time, until it sits behind your cutout. Use this when you want the backdrop to be its own movable, resizable object rather than the page's fixed background.
Step 5: Blend it in
Select the new background image and open its Filters in the properties panel to adjust brightness, contrast, and saturation until the lighting reads as one scene rather than two mismatched photos pasted together. A subtle color overlay on the background, or a matching gradient, can also help tie the subject and the new backdrop together.
Step 6: Export
Once the composite looks right, export it like any design. See Export a page for format and resolution options.
Keyboard shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Ctrl+Alt+R | Punch Out with Frame (non-AI cutout alternative) |
[ / ] | Send an object backward / bring it forward, one step |
Alt+3 | Open the Background panel |
Enter / Esc | Apply or cancel the Eraser tool |
Common tasks
| Goal | Do this |
|---|---|
| Try a few different backdrops quickly | Change the page's Background color or gradient, the cutout stays untouched above it |
| Keep the backdrop as its own movable object | Add an image or shape, then send it backward with [ instead of using the page Background |
| Undo a bad AI cutout | Undo (Ctrl+Z) right after the removal restores the original photo |
| Get an exact, repeatable cutout shape | Draw a frame with the selection tools and use Punch Out with Frame instead of the AI model |
Tips
AI cutout works best on a clear subject
A single subject with good contrast against its original background gives the cleanest result. Multiple overlapping subjects, low contrast, or heavy blur are harder for the model to separate cleanly, plan on more manual eraser touch-up in those cases.
Reach for Punch Out with Frame for an exact shape
If you already have (or can draw) a frame in the exact shape you want, select the frame together with the image and press Ctrl+Alt+R for an instant cutout with no model download and no AI guesswork.
Match the backdrop's color temperature
Use the color picker's eyedropper while building a gradient background to sample a tone straight from the subject's photo, it is a quick way to keep the new backdrop from clashing.