How to Remove the Background of Images using Preview on Mac

Aug. 25, 2020



Whether it’smarking up PDFs, extracting photos, orbasic image editing, I rely on the Preview app for macOS to get the tasks done without any fuss. Among a handful of tasks that the stock app can do with precision, I find its ability to get rid of the background from photos worthy of praise. More often than not I have to remove the background of an image to make it in line with the post. And this is where Preview proves to be a handy asset for me. If you belong to the same ballpark or are curious to learn how this slightly hidden tool works, let me show you how you can remove the background of images using Preview on Mac.

Remove the Background of Images using Preview on macOS

Remove the Background of Images using Preview on macOS

Probably the best part about the Preview app is the familiar interface, despite being so versatile. So, even if you are new to macOS, getting a hang of this stock image/PDF viewer is never a big ask.

Notably, Preview has the support for a large set of image file types such as JPEG, PNG, PSD, and TIFF. Just in case, a photo isn’t compatible, you can also convert it to a supported file type (File > Export > Format pop-up > file type). Enough talk, let’s get started with steps!

  1. To get started, open the image in thePreviewapp on your Mac. (Simply, double click on the image to open it in the Preview.) Then, click on the Markup tool at the top right of the toolbar.

Note:

  1. Next, click on theInstant Alphatool located at the top left in the toolbar.

  2. Next up,drag through the backgroundof your image to start the process of removing the background.

It’s worth noting that the Preview app automatically selects the area you dragged over along with the pixels adjacent to it which have the matching colors.

Note:

  1. Up next,select the background in sectionsthat you want to remove and then click on theDelete key. You can repeat steps 2 and 3 mentioned above to choose additional sections of the background and delete them.

Keep in mind, if the current document format doesn’t support transparency, you will need to convert the file format. If prompted, make sure to click onConvertto proceed.

Note:

So, that’s the quick way you can get rid of the background of any photos on your macOS device. As I said above, the Preview app is pretty good both in terms of basic PDF editing and image editing. So, never fail totry out this useful app.

Have any questions or feedback related to Preview? Feel free to shoot it in the comments section below.

An old school bibliophile who turned a tech nerd out of obsession. When he is not digging into hacks and tracking down stories that are breaking the internet, you may find him reciting poems.

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