How to Easily Remove Image Backgrounds in Canva

As any graphic designer knows, removing the background from an image is an essential technique to master. Isolating the subject allows us to create eye-catching visuals and lends a professional polish to everything from logos to product photos. In fact, a recent study found that products shown on a white background are 75% more likely to be clicked than those with a busy background.

While tools like Adobe Photoshop have long been the gold standard for background removal, not everyone has the time or training to learn their complicated processes. That‘s where Canva comes in. Their intuitive, AI-powered background remover tool makes it ridiculously easy to delete backgrounds in just a few clicks – no design degree required!

In this expert guide, I‘ll break down exactly how to use Canva‘s background remover to cut out any subject and create flawless transparent PNGs for your projects. As a seasoned user of both Canva and professional design software, I have plenty of pro tips and tricks to share. Say goodbye to fuzzy edges and hours of lassoing – here‘s how to Master Canva‘s background remover and elevate your designs today.

What You‘ll Need to Remove Backgrounds in Canva

Before firing up Canva‘s background remover, make sure you have these two things:

1. A Canva Pro account. The background remover is exclusive to Canva Pro, so you‘ll need an active subscription to access it. Canva offers both monthly and yearly payment options:
   • Monthly: $12.99/month
   • Yearly: $119.99/year (save 23%)

If you frequently use Canva for work or hobbies, upgrading to Pro is a smart investment that quickly pays for itself in time saved. You get access to the background remover, plus millions more photos, templates, fonts and design tools. Try it risk-free with a 30-day free trial.

2. A suitable photo to remove the background from. For best results, choose an image where your subject stands out clearly from the background. Ideal photos have:
   • High contrast between subject and background
   • A simple, uncomplicated background
   • The entire subject shown in frame
   • Sharp focus and good lighting on the subject

Some tricky photos to avoid for background removal are:

• Images where the subject blends into the background (e.g. hair or clothing that‘s a similar color)
• Busy backgrounds with lots of different colors and textures
• Photos where parts of the subject are out of focus or obscured

Let‘s see an example of a good photo vs. one that will likely pose a challenge for the AI:

[visual example comparing an easy vs. hard photo for bg removal]

However, don‘t worry if you don‘t have the perfect photo – I‘ll share techniques later on for cleaning up difficult images. Now, let‘s dive into the background removal process in Canva!

Step 1: Upload Your Image to Canva

First, log into your Canva account and open an existing design or create a new one. You‘ll see your image library in the "Uploads" tab on the left toolbar. If your desired photo isn‘t there yet:

1. Click the "Uploads" tab, then the green "Upload media" button.
2. Choose "Device" to select a file from your computer, or connect to Google Drive, Dropbox, Facebook or Instagram.
3. Locate your image file and click "Open" to import it into your Uploads.

Step 2: Insert the Image onto Your Canvas

Once your photo is in Uploads, simply click it and drag it onto your canvas. Use the corner handles to resize it as needed, then position it on your page.

Step 3: Open the Background Remover Tool

Double click your image to enter the focused editor view. Here you‘ll see options for adjusting your photo, like filters, cropping and flipping. The one we want is "BG Remover" in the far left menu.

[screenshot of bg remover button]

Click that and watch the magic happen! Canva‘s AI will analyze your image and detect which areas are foreground (your subject) vs. background. Give it 5-10 seconds to process.

So how does it work? Without getting too technical, Canva trained a convolutional neural network on millions of images to recognize the edges and color differences between foreground and background pixels. The model assigns each pixel a label, seen as the colored overlay:

• Green = high confidence foreground
• Red = high confidence background
• Purple = unsure, could be either

Canva‘s computer vision and edge detection algorithms then refine the selection and digitally cut out the subject. Pretty amazing that it can do in seconds what used to take expert Photoshoppers hours!

Step 4: Refine the Selection with the Eraser Tool

No AI is 100% perfect (yet), so you may notice a few spots where the background isn‘t completely deleted. Maybe there‘s a weird halo around your subject, or some background remnants you want to clean up. That‘s where the eraser tool comes in:

1. In the left menu, select the Eraser icon. It looks like a brush with a minus sign.
2. Use the slider to adjust the size of your eraser brush. A smaller size allows for more precision.
3. Carefully trace over any leftover background areas you want to erase. For tricky spots, zoom in and use a small brush.

Some pro tips for the eraser tool:

• Change the brush color to something high contrast so you can clearly see where you‘re erasing
• Make multiple passes to catch every last pixel
• If you accidentally erase part of your subject, just hit the undo arrow or switch to the Restore tool
• For detailed areas like hair or fur, use a hard-edged brush on a small size

I recommend using a stylus or pen tablet for maximum precision vs. a mouse or trackpad. Remember, you can always toggle between the Eraser and Restorer to bring back parts of the original image.

Step 5: Download Your Isolated Subject as a PNG

Once you‘re satisfied with your background removal, click "Done" to return to the main canvas screen. Your cut-out subject will have a checkerboard pattern indicating transparency. It‘s now ready to be used in your design or exported for use elsewhere!

To download your image, click the "Share" button at the top right and select "Download". For file type, make sure to select "PNG" to preserve the transparency. You can also specify the size and transparent margins around your subject.

Avoid choosing "JPG" as this will fill in the background with solid white and erase your hard work! Also steer clear of "SVG", as this is for simple graphics and may distort your image.

I always recommend previewing your downloaded PNG in a different program like Adobe Photoshop or Google Slides to verify it looks how you want before calling it done. If you see any issues, simply re-open it in Canva and refine further.

Troubleshooting Tricky Photos & FAQs

What if my image isn‘t removing correctly? If you‘re getting patchy results, it could be that your photo doesn‘t have enough contrast for the AI to latch onto. Some common problem photos are:

• Portraits with flyaway hair or frizz that blends into the background
• Subjects wearing clothing that‘s the same color as the background
• Transparent or translucent objects like glass
• Highly detailed subjects like lace, netting or chain link

[visual examples of challenging photos]

Don‘t despair if your image falls into one of these categories – there are a few tricks to try:

1. Use the Eraser and Restore tools to manually define the foreground and background areas. Trace the outline of your subject and fill it in with the right label.
2. Tweak the photo‘s contrast, saturation or sharpness in Canva‘s photo editor (or an external editor) to help differentiate the subject. Brightening your subject or darkening the background can help.
3. After removing the background in Canva, open the PNG in Photoshop or a similar app to smooth out rough edges, deleted unwanted spots or re-draw parts of your subject that got cut off.

How does Canva compare to other background removers? While Photoshop is still the industry leader for detail-oriented editing, Canva holds its own and beats many other tools in terms of speed, ease of use and cost. Check out this comparison table:

[table comparing Canva to remove.bg, Adobe PS, Photoscissors, etc. on criteria like ease of use, edge accuracy, cost, detail control]

I don‘t have Canva Pro – what are my options? There are a few free web-based tools that let you remove backgrounds without a paid software, like remove.bg or Photoscissors. However, these have limitations on photo size and detail control.

If you‘re already using the free version of Canva, you can try these DIY workarounds:

1. For simple backgrounds, delete it manually using the Erase and Frame tools in the free photo editor
2. Add your photo to a design, then place colored elements or stickers over the parts you want to hide

Of course, if you plan to do a lot of background removal, it‘s absolutely worth investing in Canva Pro. The $12.99/month price tag quickly pays for itself in time and frustration saved.

Creative Ways to Use Photos with Transparent Backgrounds

The beauty of a background removed image or isolated PNG is how versatile it is. Whether you‘re a social media manager, ecommerce shop owner, digital artist or brand designer, cutout visuals open up a world of creative possibilities.

Here are just a few ways to use your background-less photos:

Product Photos & Mockups

• Create a consistent look for your product catalog by putting every item on a white background
• Design eye-catching product collages, bundles and gift sets
• Overlay your product on a branded color or texture to make it pop
• Insert your product into lifestyle photos or flat lay arrangements for Instagram

[example product photo and mockup using bg removed image]

Logos & Branding Graphics

• Design a logo with a transparent background so it can go on any color scheme
• Create submarks, icons and illustrations that are clean and infinitely scalable
• Overlay your branding elements on photos, textures and patterns

[example logo with transparent bg on different brand colors]

Digital & Print Art

• Cut out photos of people, animals or objects to create surreal collages and designs
• Combine images from different sources into unique composites
• Make stickers, cards, posters and prints with photographic elements

[example digital art piece made with photos on transparent bg]

Social Media Visuals

• Create a custom profile picture or Bitmoji for your brand‘s social profiles
• Design content that seamlessly blends graphics and photography
• Use isolated PNG stickers and Giphy elements in your Stories

In fact, social media posts with transparent backgrounds generate 40% more engagement than those without!

[example social media graphic featuring cutout elements]

Start Designing with Confidence

Background removal is truly one of the most valuable skills to learn as a digital creator today. While it used to be an advanced technique limited to Photoshop pros, Canva has made it insanely easy and accessible with their AI-powered tool.

To recap, here‘s how to delete a background in Canva in just 5 steps:

1. Upload your image
2. Add it to your canvas
3. Open the BG Remover tool and let the AI process
4. Refine the edges with the Eraser and Restore brushes
5. Download as a transparent PNG

Whether you‘re editing product photos, designing logos, creating digital art or crafting social media posts, background removal will take your visuals to the next level. You‘ll be able to create professional-looking, infinitely flexible designs in a fraction of the time.

With a bit of practice and the troubleshooting tips outlined in this guide, you‘ll soon be a master of Canva‘s background remover – and wondering how you ever designed without it! Don‘t be afraid to experiment, get creative and push the boundaries of what‘s possible with this incredible tool.

I hope this in-depth tutorial has given you the knowledge and confidence to start using background removal in your own Canva workflow. Trust me, your only regret will be not trying it sooner. So go on and give it a whirl – I can‘t wait to see the beautiful, background-less designs you create!

If you have any other questions or tips to share, drop them in the comments below. Until next time, happy designing!