Remove Background From A Photo & Save As PNG Format

In this article, I’ll show you how you can achieve a layer with a transparent background and save it in PNG format. Before removing the background, or making the background transparent, there are a few steps that you’ll need to replicate beforehand to get a specific part of your image extracted. Most people use the cutout tool to well, cut out and separate a logo from a background. Check out this article if you’re unsure of what each mini tool in the cutout sidebar does.

Here, I’m using an image of a yummy sprinkled donut by Di_An_h on Unsplash as an example. Watch my timelapse video here, or if you prefer my rough written guide, scroll on down.

Using The Cutout Tool

Depending on your image and the amount of pixels you want removed, you can opt for the rest on the tool section of the sidebar. I chose the Magic Tool on Remove mode. Adjust the Tolerance to the amount that works for you. If you’re unsure, test it out on a section of your image that you want removed. You can always hit the Undo button later. I went with Light on the Softness level. Medium Softness was a little too strong for the pastry — I didn’t want the edges to end up too feathery. The blurred effect isn’t what I want. Experiment with the cutout features depending on what you’re editing.

Saving As PNG Format

All you have to do is click the blue Save button at the bottom right corner of the interface. The File Saving Rectangle will pop up and you’ll be able to Rename your extracted layer file, as well as choose the File Type. If you choose JPG, Pixlr X will automatically save your file with a white background. To save your file with a transparent background instead, choose PNG.

Play around or experiment with the cutout tool and save your edited images as PNG to keep the transparent layer intact. Don’t forget to download your file to your computer! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Stay tuned for more upcoming mini guides 😉

Originally published at https://blog.pixlr.com on July 4, 2019.