AI background removal & background replacement

Cutout first, then decide PNG versus a swapped scene

Background removal is the first mile: isolate the subject, inspect the edge, then either download a transparent PNG or swap a new scene. Do not swap first and try to extract later — you will fight generated texture at the hairline. A transparent PNG is the file you composite in Figma, Canva, or a catalog. A swapped JPEG is the file you publish as a finished still (a red or black template, a studio color, or a lifestyle scene). Shopify’s product photography guidance is blunt: buyers look at the picture before they read the copy, so the subject has to be the only thing in the frame.

Upload JPG, PNG, WebP, or AVIF up to 10MB, 6000×6000 px. A typical 2400 px product JPEG under 4MB usually returns in under 60 seconds. After the cutout, drag the compare control at 100% around hair, glasses, fur, straps, and product feet. A dark halo or a hole in the fringe means the original contrast was weak (black coat on a dark sofa). Semi-transparent objects — wine glasses, veils, steam — often become a solid silhouette. Plan the layout around that limit, or keep the original scene and only strip logos with watermark removal.

Color, Image, Red, and Black tabs

After the cutout looks right, pick a background on this page. Color is a solid or simple field for marketplaces and ID-style portraits. Image uses a photo scene (including the Pexels library on the Image tab). Red and Black open template galleries for listing series that must match a brand hex. Custom is your own backdrop file. Match lighting: a warm tungsten portrait on a cool grey field looks like a paste. Color spill on the subject stays after the background is gone — a cutout is not a color grade. Correct skin or product hue in your editor after download if the brief is a cool studio.

Hair, glass, and when to stop

Fine hair and pet fur are where cheap cutouts look fake. Check the crown and shoulders against a contrasting test color before you ship. Jewelry catalogs and type that must hug a contour to the pixel still belong in Photoshop. For social, listings, and team headshots, spend brush time only on the one edge the slider still flags. Skip the tool when the subject is cropped through the feet or the only file is a 800 px WhatsApp export — reconstruction cannot invent missing pixels. You still need rights to the original photo. Removing a messy kitchen does not grant a license to a stock portrait.

Need a wider banner after the cutout? Finish isolation first, then use AI outpainting so extra pixels match the subject lighting. Expanding a busy original copies the clutter into the new canvas. Hard limits again: 10MB, 6000 px, four formats. We do not publish a fake success rate. Success is a 100% zoom with no halo and a subject you were allowed to edit.