Remove a background online with the Magic Eraser

2026-10-25

For images with a plain or nearly plain background (product shots on white, ID photos on blue, logos) the Magic Eraser is the fastest tool.

Steps

1. "File → Open" your image;
2. Pick the Magic Eraser Tool in the toolbox;
3. Click the background: the area with a similar color around the click becomes transparent (shown as a grey-and-white checkerboard);
4. Click again wherever some background is left;
5. "File → Export", choose PNG as the type, and the transparency is kept.

Options

The Magic Eraser options are in the tool options bar:

• Power: how different a color may be and still count as "similar". Default 15. Raise it if the background won't go away completely; lower it if parts of the subject disappear too;
• Contiguous: when ticked, only the area connected to the click is erased; when not, every similar color in the whole image goes. Tick it when the subject contains the background color;
• Anti aliasing: smoother edges; usually leave it on.

Finishing touches

• Remove leftover specks at the edges with the normal Eraser;
• Use "Image → Trim" (shortcut T) to cut off the transparent border;
• For a new background color: "Layer → New", paint the new layer with the Fill tool, then move it to the bottom in the Layers panel.

For busy backgrounds (people, hair, landscapes) the Magic Eraser has its limits; use an AI service such as REMOVE.BG from "Tools → External".

Try it in Online PS