How to remove the background from a photo and get a clean cutout

What background removal does

Removing a background means deciding, for every pixel, whether it belongs to the subject or not, and making the rest transparent. The result is an image you can place on any color or design: a profile photo on a plain backdrop, a product on a white page, a logo on a slide.

MoaMoa does this with a small AI model that runs inside your browser. The first time, the page downloads the model (the page tells you how much). After that it's saved on your device, and your photos are never uploaded.

Pick the right mode

• Person: for portraits, profile photos and people in everyday scenes. It's trained to keep hair, shoulders and clothing together.
• Logo or object: for logos, products and objects, especially on a plain background.
• Automatic (the default): picks Person or Logo or object for each photo. If a result looks wrong, choose the mode yourself and try again.

What makes a clean cutout

The model separates subject and background by their difference. You get the cleanest result when that difference is clear:

• A background that contrasts with the subject: a dark sweater against a light wall, not a white shirt against a white wall.
• Even light without strong shadows behind the subject.
• A sharp photo: motion blur and heavy compression blur the edges the model has to find.
• Space around the subject, so hands, hair or the corners of a product aren't cut off by the frame.

Fine hair, glass, smoke and see-through fabric are hard for any tool. Expect to touch up those edges.

Fix the edges with Touch up

1. After the background is removed, open Touch up on the photo.
2. Use Erase to remove leftover background, and Restore to bring back parts of the subject that were removed.
3. Change the brush size and edge softness for the area you're working on, and zoom in for small details. Undo works step by step.
4. Check the result on the checkerboard, which shows the transparent areas, then save.

Where a cutout is useful

• Profile and staff photos: put everyone on the same plain color so a team page or ID badge looks consistent.
• Product listings: many marketplaces prefer products on white. Cut the product out, then place it on white at the shape the listing asks for.
• Logos: a logo that came as a JPEG with a white box can be cut out once and reused on slides, documents and photos, for example with Add a watermark.
• Stickers and collages: a person or pet without the background can go on a new scene or a greeting card.

Because the cutout is made on your device, it's also a safe way to prepare photos of people or private items you wouldn't want to upload to an online service.

Why the result is a PNG

Transparency needs a format that can store it. JPEG can't: any transparent area becomes a solid color. That's why the cutout is saved as a PNG with a transparent background. If a website only accepts JPEG, place the cutout on the color you want first: Fit a photo for social with a solid color background does this, and can save the result as JPEG.