How to Remove the Background from Photos on Mac
macOS can remove the background from a photo by itself: right-click it in Finder and choose Quick Actions > Remove Background, or use Tools > Remove Background in Preview. File Acture's Remove Background does whole batches on your Mac and adds what listings need: a white or any color background, cropping to the subject with padding, a square canvas and a file size limit.
Updated September 24, 20264 min read
By the File Acture team
A product photo on a white background, a profile picture without the messy room behind it, a pet cut out for a card: removing the background used to mean an online tool that wanted an upload and a credit for each image. On a current Mac, the subject can be found right on the computer.
How to remove a background with Finder and Preview
On macOS 14 Sonoma and later, select a photo in Finder, right-click it and choose Quick Actions > Remove Background. Finder saves a new PNG next to the original, with the background made transparent.
Preview can do the same for the photo you have open: choose Tools > Remove Background, then save or export the result as PNG to keep the transparency. In the Photos app you can also touch and hold or right-click the subject and choose Copy Subject to paste it into another app.
These are quick for a single cutout. They don't offer a background color, a crop around the subject, a square canvas or a size limit, which is what marketplaces and upload forms usually ask for.
How to remove the background from many photos with File Acture
File Acture's Remove Background finds the person, animal or product in each photo you add and places it on a transparent or plain background. The edges follow hair and fur instead of a hard outline, and every result is saved as a new file with “-no-bg” in its name; the originals stay as they were.
It reads JPEG, PNG, WebP, HEIC, AVIF and TIFF, so photos straight from an iPhone work without converting them first. The results are saved as PNG, WebP or JPEG.
Which options does it have?
The options sit in the panel on the right and are remembered for the next run.
- Background: Transparent, or Color with a one-click White and any other color.
- Format: PNG or WebP keep transparency. JPEG has no transparency, so it can be chosen once a color is set.
- Crop to subject: trims the empty space around the subject, and Padding leaves a margin of 0–30% around it.
- Canvas: Square 1:1 centers the result on a square, as marketplaces ask for.
- Limit file size: keeps each file under a maximum such as 500 KB or 1 MB.
Tips for clean cutouts
The clearer the subject, the cleaner the edge.
- Contrast helps. A subject that stands out from the background gives the cleanest outline; a white shoe on a white table is the hardest case.
- One main subject works best. With a crowd, everything in the foreground is kept.
- Need smaller files? Turn on Limit file size, or run the results through Compress Images.
- Need a fixed size? Scale the cutouts to the same width with Resize Images.
- Photo for an application form? See the photo size rules for online applications.
Is it safe to use an online background remover?
Online background removers need the photo on their servers first, and many charge a credit for every full-size image. That matters for photos of people, children and unreleased products. File Acture finds the subject on your Mac with the image analysis built into macOS, so the photos are never uploaded; the free version needs an internet connection only to count its runs.
The free version includes 3 runs on each Mac, with up to 5 photos per run. For whole catalogs, see pricing.
How to remove the background from photos with File Acture
- 1
Open Remove Background
Choose Remove Background in the sidebar, under Images.
- 2
Add your photos
Drag in your photos or click Choose Files….
- 3
Pick the background
Under Background, choose Transparent, or Color and then White or any color. Pick PNG, WebP or JPEG under Format.
- 4
Frame it
Turn on Crop to subject and set the Padding; choose Square 1:1 under Canvas for listings.
- 5
Remove the backgrounds
Click Remove Background. Each result is saved with “-no-bg” in its name, and Before and After show the difference.
Cut out people and products in whole batches, on your Mac.
Free to try · runs on your device
| Method | Background | Crop and square canvas | Size limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finder, Quick Actions > Remove Background | Transparent | No | No |
| Preview, Tools > Remove Background | Transparent | No | No |
| Photos, Copy Subject | Copied to paste elsewhere | No | No |
| File Acture Remove Background | Transparent, white or any color | Yes | Yes |
Questions
Can a Mac remove the background from a photo without an app?
Yes, on macOS 14 and later: right-click the photo in Finder and choose Quick Actions > Remove Background, or use Tools > Remove Background in Preview.
How do I put a product on a white background?
In File Acture, choose Color and then White under Background. Add Crop to subject and a square canvas for marketplace listings.
Can I remove the background from many photos at once?
Yes. Add them all to Remove Background and click Remove Background. The free version takes up to 5 photos per run.
Why is my JPEG not transparent?
JPEG has no transparency. Save as PNG or WebP to keep a transparent background, or choose a background color for JPEG.
Are my photos uploaded?
No. The subject is found on your Mac and the photos never leave it. The free version goes online only to count its runs.