How To Quickly Remove Image Backgrounds With Preview On Mac – Screen Rant
Removing the background of an image is a useful photo editing tool, and it’s accessible to just about anyone. It takes seconds on Preview for macOS.
Removing the background of an image might seem like a daunting task for amateur photo editors, but if the background is mostly the same color, macOS users can quickly remove it with the built-in Preview app. Photo editing software has become more robust and more accessible over the years, and it's now possible to make image alterations on low-powered systems — even on smartphones. As such, just about anyone is capable of making simple photo edits without any experience required.
Third-party photo editing applications are often littered with a ton of advanced tools, but the Preview app on macOS is more refined for the average user. Anyone who has used macOS for more than a few hours has likely spent time with the Preview app, even if they were not aware they were using the application. It was originally designed by NeXT, the company that the late CEO Steve Jobs founded after he was ousted by Apple. When he returned, Preview was assimilated into the core software that became Mac OS X and now, macOS. Preview is the default application for viewing a variety of media types, like images, PDFs, and other documents.
Unlike the name would suggest, there's a lot more that Preview can do besides just viewing images and media. Preview can also edit images, and can remove the background of images in certain scenarios. Typically, users that want to remove the background of an image might reach for a more powerful app — like Photoshop — or give up all together. But when an image is mostly the same color, its background can be removed quickly with Preview. The feature is accessible through either the Markup Toolbar for those users who see the 'Markup' button or by heading straight to the magic wand tool.
After an image is open in Preview, look for the 'Markup' button in the toolbar, which looks like a circular icon of a marker. Click this button to open the Markup Toolbar. If the toolbar opens automatically, there is no need to press the 'Markup' button, and users won't see the option. Then, press the 'Instant Alpha' button — the icon that looks like a magic wand — and drag over part of the background a user wants to remove. Preview will select the area and pixels around it that have the same colors. Press the 'Delete' key to delete the selected area.
Preview offers other ways to remove the background of an image, and in some cases, they might work better than the standard remove background feature. For example, if the background is hard to select, it might be easier for users to select the subject that they want to keep in the image. Follow the same process above to select the subject, clicking the 'Instant Alpha' button and dragging the cursor over the subject. Instead of simply pressing the 'Delete' key, navigate to the menu bar and click 'Edit' and 'Invert Selection.' Now, press the 'Delete' key. This will delete everything in the image except for the portion selected using the 'Instant Alpha' tool.
Users can also effectively remove an image from its background by extracting the subject from the image with Preview. After the Markup Toolbar is shown, click the selection tools menu, which looks like a dotted-line square. Then, choose the 'Smart Lasso' tool — an icon depicting a lasso with stars — and trace the edge of the image that the user wants to extract. To be certain the subject isn't cut off, make sure the image's edge is inside the border that appears when a user traces the image. Then, navigate to the menu bar and click 'Edit' and 'Copy.' Users can then paste the selected portion into another document or field without the background included.
Though Preview on macOS certainly isn't the most powerful photo editor, it can be a quick and easy way to remove the background of some images.
Source: Apple Support
Brady Snyder is a journalism student at St. John’s University specializing in Apple, wearables, and audio. Based in New York City, he reviews consumer technology, software, and services. Brady is well-versed in iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and macOS — but experiments with Android and Windows as needed. He believes that competition between technology companies facilitates progress, and cautions against sticking to one particular brand or device. Instead, Brady tests out any tech product or service he can get his hands on, and aids buyers in making an informed decision about what is best for their needs. He’s currently flipping into the future with Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G, but the Apple Watch’s incredible fitness features might have him coming back to the iPhone in no time. Brady’s always searching for the best and most productive workflow with his technology, regardless of the platform he is currently using. Follow Brady on Twitter @BradyPSnyder.