Whether you are a blogger or not, being able to remove the backgrounds of images is a pretty handy skill. Not only does it make assembling those fancy design boards pretty simple, but this trick is also helpful if you are needing to make party invitations, flyers, decor, cut files etc. You might think you need fancy computer software or graphic design skills to give images a transparent background, but I have a super simple way of doing it that I’ve been using for years. Today, I want to show you how to remove backgrounds from images using…PowerPoint!

A diagram showing the removal process of background images with text overlay

What does “Transparent Background” Mean?

Before I dive into the tutorial, let’s just quickly review what I mean when I say “transparent background.” If you were to search for and save an image for use on a design board or other project, you will likely come across several different file formats. Sometimes you will be able to find images with a transparent background already; and you’ll know it because the area surrounding the image has a pattern of small grey squares around it (below right). Most times though, the image will be a JPEG with a solid white background (shown below left). A JPEG solid white image background and a PNG transparent background

If the background of an image is a solid color (or has any other design to it), it doesn’t have a transparent background. Therefore, when you lay it over a colored background or other images, you will still see the white box around it (below left). With a transparent background, you can layer images over any color or any other object and be able to see the background (below right).

A JPEG solid white image background and a PNG transparent background

I’ve played with lots of different programs to take the background out of images because it’s something I do quite often. In all my trial and error, I’ve found two tried and true methods for easily removing backgrounds from images: PowerPoint and Canva. I’m going to break down both methods below so that you too can get great results when removing backgrounds from future images!

Method 1: Removing Backgrounds from Images with PowerPoint

PowerPoint has amazing photo capabilities for the everyday user. Not only does it allow you to easily drop in images and move them around without any weird bounding boxes or formatting restrictions, but it also has a tool built into the program to remove backgrounds in just a few clicks.

Start by finding and saving your desired image to your computer. If the image has small white/grey squares all around it, then you don’t need to use this tutorial; your image already has a transparent background. If it has a white or colored background, here is how to get rid of it!

Open a new PowerPoint file.

A new file opened on Microsoft PowerPoint

Remove any default text boxes already on the first slide by just clicking on them and hitting the delete key on your keyboard.

A bland slide on Microsoft PowerPoint

Drag and drop the picture you have saved to your computer (or navigate to Insert –> Image) onto the blank slide.

A picture of furniture on a Microsoft PowerPoint slide

Once you drop the photo onto the slide, the Format Picture tool bar will automatically appear across the top of the screen. If it doesn’t, double click on the image. In the middle of that toolbar, you should see an option to “Remove Background.” With your image selected, click that button.

A screen view of Microsoft PowerPoint with the remove background tool circled

Once you do, you’ll see a pink box appear around your image. Your image should be in full color, and the pink box represents everything that will be made transparent (as in clear, not white). Notice below that the automatic boundaries that PowerPoint creates don’t catch my full graphic, so parts of the dresser are being made transparent. Tip: You can use the mini slide in the sidebar to see a preview of how your image will look once you’re done using the Remove Background Tool.

A screen view of Microsoft Powerpoint with a pink box shown around an image of a piece of furniture

To make sure your entire image is shown in full color, simply adjust the handlebars of the box to fully frame out your image.A screen view of Microsoft Powerpoint with a pink box shown around an image of a piece of furniture

Depending on the image, you may notice that the program automatically makes certain parts transparent (notice the little pockets of pink throughout the dresser above). To make them opaque again, simple click on the pink parts with your mouse, and they will change back to the original color. The + symbol means it will be shown in its original color (as in, not transparent).

An image with a pink background and an arrow pointing to the + symbol

Once you have your image adjusted to your liking, simply click outside the pink box to de-select the Remove Background tool. Before you save or use your image, make sure it is really transparent by copying and pasting it onto the same slide. If the white box is removed and your two images can lay over each other as shown below, your image now has a transparent background! (You can delete out the extra copy of the image once you determine it has a transparent background.)

A screen view of Microsoft Powerpoint shows the same furniture image laying over each other

Now that the background is removed, you’ll need to save it so you can work with it in various ways. To do that, right click on the image, and select Save Picture As.

 

A screen view of Microsoft Powerpoint showing how to select Save Picture As

A new window will open, and you’ll notice the image file type is automatically now set as a PNG file (that is typically the file type for images with a transparent background). Type in a file name and click save.

A screen view of Microsoft Powerpoint showing how to save the correct file format

Removing the Background of Complex Images with PowerPoint

For images with white solid backgrounds (like shown above), removing the background is super easy. PowerPoint almost always automatically gets which parts of the graphic should be in color versus transparent. For images that are layered into a complex photo (like the chair in a room shot below), it is still possible to isolate out the chair, but it takes some playing around with the same Remove Background tool.

Just as above, drop a photo onto an empty slide in PowerPoint.

A screen view of a Microsoft Powerpoint slide with a complex image

Again, double click on the image and then select the Remove Background tool from the Format Picture toolbar. Below, you can see that PowerPoint automatically selected which elements of the picture should be shown in color and which should be transparent, but didn’t get it quite right.

Like before, start with moving the bounding box to fully surround the image you want to isolate out.

An arrow shows how to move a bounding box to fully surround an image in Microsoft Powerpoint

Then, use your mouse to continue to select pink areas to bring them back to full color. Sometimes just clicking on an area will switch them (like the stripe on the left side of the chair), yet other times you will need to draw a straight line for the program to acknowledge a certain part of the graphic. Two images in Microsoft powerpoint with a pink background

Continue clicking around the photo and turning various areas from + to – or vise versa. Notice in the photo above that I had to draw and click on several different areas to finally get the chair shown in full color with a transparent background throughout the rest of the photo. It may take some trial and error, just keep clicking around until you have what you want.

Once you’re done, click off the pink box and save the image as I showed you above!

An image of a chair with a transparent background in Microsoft Powerpoint

Method 2: Removing Backgrounds from Images with Canva

As I’ve mentioned before, one of my favorite ways to create design boards and professional-looking graphics, flyers, invitations, labels (and more!) is through a free online graphic design program called Canva. It is by far the easiest, most intuitive programs I’ve ever used.

Background Removal Tool

While Canva is indeed FREE, there are a few “specialty” tools that come with the Canva Pro plan, which is $12.95/month (but you CAN get a free 30-day trial!!!!) One of these specialty tools is the Background Removal Tool. Of all the different ways I’ve removed backgrounds over the years, this is by far the quickest and easiest method and gives the absolute best results!

Removing backgrounds from images with Canva Pro’s Background Removal Tool is done in 3 quick and easy steps:

  1. Select the image you want to remove the background from.
  2. Click the Effects button.
  3. Click Background Remover.

In mere seconds, the background will be gone; and the edges around your image will be pristine!

A screen view of Canva Pro showing how to remove a background from an image

Using the Background Remover Tool is really the best way to collage items together in realistic ways. So if you’re making a lot of design boards or want the cleanest designs possible, especially if you’re dealing with product photos, you might find Canva Pro worth the free 30-day trial or monthly fee.

Cropping Handles

If you don’t want to try Canva Pro right away, you do have some other options to cut down image backgrounds within Canva’s free program (though you should be aware that you will be sacrificing the pristine image edges that the background removal tool has to offer). One of these options is utilizing Cropping Handles. Whenever you select an image, you will see small white rectangles on the tops/sides of the image. You can drag these handles in to eliminate the surrounding white space. Although it’s not the perfect background remover that Canva Pro has to offer, the results are still better than leaving all the white space in view!

A screen view of Canva Pro showing how to use cropping handles to cut down image backgrounds

 

Frames

Another option you have to cut down on image backgrounds is to use the Frames feature within the free version of Canva. Frames are those grass+sky picture placeholders in which I dropped my circle mirror into (shown below). By doing this, I instantly cropped out all the excess white around the edge of the photo. Again, this method is not as perfect as Canva Pro’s Background Removal Tool, but it’s definitely a better option than leaving all the harsh white space in view.

A screen view of Canva Pro showing how to use the frames feature to cut down image backgrounds

And that’s it! Two methods to remove image backgrounds that are both quick and simple! I mostly remove backgrounds from images when I am creating themed party decor (e.g. Ninja Turtles images), preparing cut files for my Cricut Explore, and creating design boards for room makeovers. Keep in mind, however, if you’re using this tutorial to remove images of pictures you find on the web, it should be for personal use only!

See You Soon!
Megan