Remove an image's background

Last updated: October 11, 2026

Cut the subject of an image out onto a transparent background, ready to drop into a scene, a UI or a sprite atlas. Layer adds the cut-out as a new version and keeps the original.

Before you start

  • The image is in a session, or in your library ready to add to one.
  • Each run costs Creative Units. The cost depends on the model you choose.

Steps

  1. In the session, press ⌘K (Ctrl+K on Windows) and choose Add asset….

  2. Select the image, then click Select 1 asset. It lands on the board.

  3. Hover the image on the board and click View to open it full-size. The viewer shows the file's details on the left and the Actions panel on the right.

  4. In the Actions panel, under Tools, click Remove image background. Its form opens in the panel.

  5. Click Remove background.

  6. Wait while it runs. The viewer stays open, and the new version appears beside the original.

Result

The cut-out opens in the viewer as a new file, with the subject on a transparent background. The original is unchanged: both sit in the strip on the left of the viewer, newest first, so you can switch between them. The new file is also added to the session's board.

Production tips

  • Check the edges on light and dark. Fur, hair, smoke, glass and motion blur are where a cut-out goes wrong. Place the result over both a light and a dark background before you ship it, since a fringe that vanishes on one shows on the other.
  • Cut out from the largest version you have. A small source gives a soft, stepped edge. When the only copy is small, run Upscale image on it first.
  • Thin props are the usual casualty. Staffs, strings, antennae and weapon tips can be read as background. Zoom in on them before you move on.
  • Need the background too? Use Split image into layers in the same panel instead, which separates the image into layers you can edit and export rather than discarding the background.
  • Doing a whole set? Run it on each asset, or build it into a workflow so every new character or item comes out cut out the same way.
  • In the engine, import the result with alpha enabled. If a light or dark halo appears around the subject, check your texture's alpha settings (straight versus premultiplied) before re-running the cut.

If something goes wrong

  • Part of the subject was removed. Try another model from the model menu at the top of the tool. Models differ in how they treat thin or semi-transparent detail.
  • Some of the background is left behind. Try another model, or remove the leftover area with Inpaint image on the result.
  • The run failed. The new version shows the failure in the strip. Try again; if it fails again, try another model.
  • You are out of Creative Units. The run will not start. Top up from your workspace's billing settings, or ask a workspace admin.

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