Remove the background from a PNG

How it works

1. 1

   Upload your PNG

   Up to 10 MB. Existing transparency in the file is preserved.

2. 2

   Background removed

   The subject is detected and everything else is made transparent.

3. 3

   Download

   A PNG at the original resolution with a proper alpha channel.

Why PNG is the right format for a cutout

PNG is lossless: the pixels you upload are the pixels that come back, with no compression artefacts introduced along the way. It also carries a full 8-bit alpha channel, which means each pixel can be fully opaque, fully invisible, or anywhere in between.

That in-between range is what makes cutouts look real. A single strand of hair does not neatly cover a whole pixel, so a good result gives that pixel partial opacity. Formats without alpha have to guess a solid colour instead, which is where the tell-tale white fringe around a cheap cutout comes from.

PNG-8, PNG-24 and why your file might look chunky

Not all PNGs are equal. PNG-8 stores a maximum of 256 colours and only single-bit transparency — a pixel is either fully visible or fully gone. Save a cutout as PNG-8 and every soft edge turns into a jagged staircase.

PNG-24 (strictly, PNG-32 with alpha) stores millions of colours and full alpha. This is what you want, and it is what Cutola produces. If a cutout looks fine here and chunky after you run it through another tool, an export to PNG-8 is almost always the culprit.

Keeping PNG file size sensible

• PNG files are large by nature — a lossless photo is simply more data than a JPG of the same picture.
• Crop away empty transparent space; you are storing those pixels either way.
• Resize to the size you will actually display before exporting, not after.
• For web use, convert the finished cutout to WebP — it keeps alpha and is typically far smaller.
• Use the convert and compress tool for both of those; it costs no credits.

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