Remove Image Background

Paint S provides several ways to remove the background from an image or a specific layer.

Tips

Background removal requires the full-featured version. See FAQ.

Remove the Background of the Entire Image

Choose Image > Remove Background from the menu bar. This works when the canvas background is a visible image; the app will use AI to automatically detect and remove the background, replacing the image in place (the change can be undone with ⌘Z). If no subject is detected, a "No background to remove" message appears. See Edit Image.

Important

Requires macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later.

If automatic removal is unavailable or inaccurate, use the Magic Selection Tool to select the background manually, then press the Delete key.

Remove Background by Replacing Colors

If the background is a solid color, use the Eyedropper Tool to sample it. In the pop-up panel, choose to replace the sampled color with the transparent (clear) color.

If the background contains multiple similar colors, select a portion of the background using a selection tool, then choose Image > Replace Selected Colors…. Choose the transparent color to replace all colors within the selected range throughout the image.

Remove the Background of a Specific Layer

To remove the background of a specific image layer rather than the entire document, select the layer and choose Object > Remove Background, or right-click the layer and choose Remove Background in the context menu. The app will use AI to process only the selected layer, replacing its image in place so the change can be undone. See Manage Layers.