✂️ bgremove: Background Removal for Artists
Open the app → bgr.surge.sh · Docs & README → this page · Code → github.com/nrrb/bgremove
A free, browser-based tool for cutting subjects out of photos and saving them as transparent PNGs, perfect for reference prep, digital collage, painting studies, texture layering, and more. No account needed, no uploads, no waiting. Everything runs on your device.
Why artists love it
You’ve got a great photo reference: but the busy background is fighting you. You need just the figure, or just the object, floating on transparency so you can drop it into your composition, your painting app, your mood board. That’s exactly what this does.
- Your images stay private. Nothing ever leaves your browser. No server sees your photos.
- No subscription, no watermark, no export limit. Just open it and go.
- Works on mobile. Pinch to zoom, touch to paint: designed to feel natural on a tablet or phone.
How to use it
1. Upload your photo
Drag and drop an image onto the page, or tap the upload area. JPG and PNG both work.
You have three tools: mix and match them on the same image:
Color Sampler
Great for images with a clear, consistent background color (a flat wall, a white backdrop, an open sky).
- Click Sample Colors to enter sampling mode.
- Click anywhere on the background to sample that color. Click multiple spots to catch different shades.
- Use the Threshold slider to expand or shrink the selection: higher threshold = more aggressive removal.
- Toggle Smooth Edges to feather the boundary for a cleaner cutout.
Lasso (Intelligent Edge-Snapping)
Best for complex edges: hair, fabric, objects with detail. The lasso snaps to natural edges in the image automatically.
- Click Lasso to enter lasso mode.
- Click to place anchor points around your subject, tracing its outline. The line will hug the edges it finds.
- Close the loop back to your first anchor, then click inside or outside to choose which side to remove.
- Adjust Edge Sensitivity to control how strongly the lasso snaps to edges.
Brush
For manual touch-ups, or when you want full control over exactly what gets removed.
- Click Brush to enter brush mode.
- Paint over any area to erase it to transparency.
- Use the Brush Size slider to work broadly or precisely.
3. Refine and undo
Made a mistake? Hit Undo (or Ctrl/Cmd+Z). Changed your mind? Redo brings it back. You can also Reset to start over from your original photo.
4. Export
Hit Save to download your cutout as a PNG. The transparent areas will be preserved: ready for Procreate, Photoshop, Affinity, GIMP, or wherever your workflow takes you.
Need a reminder?
The Help button in the bottom toolbar opens this page in a new tab so you can refer back to it without losing your work.
Tips for great results
- Start with the color sampler on simple backgrounds, then use the brush to clean up any leftover bits.
- For figures with complex hair or fur, try the lasso first: it follows edges surprisingly well.
- Sample multiple background colors if your backdrop isn’t perfectly even. The tool averages across all your samples.
- Zoom in with the scroll wheel (or pinch on mobile) to paint fine details with the brush.
- The threshold slider updates the preview in real time: drag it slowly to find the sweet spot before it clips into your subject.
Built with
- Vue 3: reactive UI
- Vite: fast builds
- Tailwind CSS: styling
- HTML5 Canvas API + Web Workers: all image processing runs locally in your browser
Running locally
git clone https://github.com/nrrb/bgremove
cd bgremove
npm install
npm run dev
Then open http://localhost:5173.
To build for production:
License
Do whatever you like with it. Make something beautiful.