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Best Free Transparent Background Makers for Creating PNGs and Replacing Backgrounds
There are many reasons you might need to make an image transparent. For example, you could need to put a logo on a photo, but the only image you have of the logo has a white or black background. On the other hand, maybe you want to swap out the background of an image for a solid color. Or perhaps you want to give a selfie a better-looking background before sharing it on social. Whatever the reason, you will need a reliable transparent background maker.
There are a lot of free and paid photo editors available for changing the background of an image. However, with so many options it can be hard to pick the right one for you. To help you find the best tools to remove backgrounds, we have compiled a list of the top transparent background makers today.
We will also teach you how to make a background transparent. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know to create transparent backgrounds for your images.
- Top 3 Free Transparent Background Makers Snapshot
- What is a Transparent Background?
- Best Free Transparent Background Makers
- Best Free Transparent Background Makers Comparison Chart
- How to Make Image Background Transparent on Windows and Mac
- How to Make Image Background Transparent Online
- Download the Best Transparent Background Maker for Free
- Transparent Background Maker FAQ
Top 3 Free Transparent Background Makers Snapshot
1. PhotoDirector - Best AI Photo Editor
PhotoDirector stands out as the top photo editor. The software contains several tools, including an automatic transparent background tool. With one click, you can remove the background of any photo. Detailed Review >
2. MyEdit - Best Online Photo Editor
MyEdit is the go to online background removal tool. It is 100% automatic! Easily replace or remove backgrounds from images with AI directly in your web browser. Detailed Review >
3. Photoshop (free trial) - Best for Professionals
Adobe’s professional photo editing, image creation, and graphic design program. Use selection tools or automatic detection to remove backgrounds from your images. Detailed Review >
What is a Transparent Background?
A transparent image is an image that has a clear background, and you can see images behind it. When your image has a transparent background, you can layer it on top of other images. Both GIF and PNG formats support transparency.
Best Free Transparent Background Makers
1. PhotoDirector - Best AI Photo Editor
Compatibility: Mac, Windows
Overall Rating: 10/10
Transparent Background Tools: 10/10
With PhotoDirector creating a photo with a transparent background is effortless. The software includes a set of Guided tools, which makes editing straightforward. You won't need to have any editing experience to be able to jump in and make stunning images. The Guided tools include Background Removal with AI-powered object detection, allowing you to select the subject of your photo with a click. Then replace its background in seconds or save it as a transparent PNG.
If you need more advanced background removal, you can use the software's layer editing. The object detection in the layer editor will allow you to select multiple subjects in a photo.
Besides background removal and replacement, PhotoDirector includes a vast selection of powerful photo editing tools. For example, the program features animation tools, blending options, photo filters, and other artistic effects that you can apply with a few clicks of a button.
2. MyEdit - Best Online Photo Editor
Compatibility: Web browser
Overall Rating: 10/10
Transparent Background Tools: 10/10
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MyEdit is a free online photo editor offering powerful AI-based tools that make image manipulation a breeze. You can effortlessly remove backgrounds, unwanted objects, crop, rotate, resize, and even convert images in a variety of formats. Its editing tools support popular file formats such as JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP, and BMP, ensuring compatibility across a wide range of projects. With MyEdit, photo editing becomes a swift and smooth process, whether you're fine-tuning for professional use or personal creativity.
With the browser-based editing feature, you can make quick edits without the need for downloading any software onto your device. MyEdit leverages the power of artificial intelligence to expedite your workflow, enabling complex tasks to be completed in just a few clicks. We offer an array of AI-assist tools including object removal for clearing unwanted objects or people from your photos, and background removal to easily replace or remove image backgrounds. We also provide tools to instantly transform your images into cartoon versions, unblur shaky footage, and remove noise from your images.
MyEdit doesn't just stop at editing and enhancing images. The platform also offers an array of conversion and optimization tools. Need to resize an image by size or pixels? The 'Resize Image' tool has you covered. Looking to convert images into different formats? The 'Image Converter' is there at your service. Additionally, it provides cropping tools that let you manually crop your image. It even offers image rotation and flipping features, providing you with a comprehensive suite of tools to make your photo editing experience as intuitive and versatile as possible.
3. Photoshop (free trial) - Best for Professionals
Compatibility: Mac, Windows
Overall Rating: 9/10
Transparent Background Tools: 9/10
Adobe Photoshop is one of the most popular image editing tools. It includes a variety of selection tools and auto-detection for background removal. Unfortunately, Photoshop has a steep learning curve, making it less than ideal for photo editing newcomers. On the upside, once you master the software, you can use it to make gorgeous images with transparent backgrounds.
A seven-day free trial of the software is available for Mac and Windows devices. With the free trial, you can access all the tool’s features. However, once the trial expires, you must pay for a subscription plan to keep using the platform. The paid version of Photoshop comes with a hefty price tag.
4. PhotoWorks - Best for Windows Only
Compatibility: Windows
Overall Rating: 9/10
Transparent Background Tools: 8/10
PhotoWorks is a versatile photo editing software program for Windows systems. The tool allows you to enhance an image and add a transparent background with just a few clicks.
Just like Photoshop, PhotoWorks offers a limited free trial. With the free trial, you can create transparent image backgrounds and perform other edits, and your edited image won’t have watermarks. Once the trial expires, you must buy a plan to keep using PhotoWorks. The software takes up a fair amount of memory space, making it unideal for individuals with limited RAM or hard drive space.
5. OnlinePNGTools - Best Online Tool
Compatibility: Web browser
Overall Rating: 7/10
Transparent Background Tools: 8/10
OnlinePNGTools is the best PNG maker for creating images with transparent backgrounds online. You can access the tool via a web browser. You can use the drag and drop interface to upload images. The site will convert your uploaded image into a PNG image with a transparent background. You can then save the converted image to your system.
The platform is free, and you don’t need an account to use OnlinePNGTools as you do with other online platforms. However, the website is limited in tools, so don’t expect it to fulfill all your editing needs.
6. Online Image Editor - Best for Removing Colored Backgrounds
Compatibility: Web browser
Overall Rating: 7/10
Transparent Background Tools: 7/10
Online Image Editor is another web-based PNG creator that you can use to make PNG images transparent. You can upload any image, including GIF images. Online Image Editor converts images to your selected format when you upload them.
The online tool is free to use and works as long as you have an internet connection. Besides the transparent background maker tool, Online Image Editor offers other basic photo editing options, such as image filters and cropping.
Best Free Transparent Background Makers Comparison Chart
| Software | PhotoDirector | MyEdit | Photoshop | PhotoWorks | OnlinePNGTools | Online Image Editor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows, Mac | Web browser | Windows, Mac | Windows | Web browser | Web browser |
| Beginner-friendly | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Includes Backgrounds | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Sky Replacement | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Object Removal | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Download | Download | Download | Download | Download |
PhotoDirector
vs
OS
Windows, Mac
-
Beginner-friendly
Yes
-
Includes Backgrounds
Yes
-
Sky Replacement
Yes
-
Object Removal
Yes
-
How to Make Image Background Transparent on Windows and Mac
Follow these steps to make your image background transparent with PhotoDirector 365 for Windows and Mac:
- Download PhotoDirector 365 and install it on your computer. After installing the software, launch it.
- After launching the app, upload the image you want to work on. With the photo selected click the Guided tab at the top of the page.
- After clicking Guided, you will have access to a toolbar at the left of the window. The toolbar will reveal guided editing options, including Extract and Compose. Click Extract or Compose to reveal a dropdown menu and press Background Removal.
- When the Background Removal editor appears, navigate to the panel on the left that contains tools and sliders. Click on Object Segmentation — the button with the tree silhouette symbol. After you click Object Segmentation, the system will automatically identify the main subjects within the image and highlight them.
- Go to the brush options and click the checkbox labeled Remove Unselected Area then click Apply to proceed with the removal.
Fine-tune: If the edges around the extracted subjects are imperfect, click the brush icon in the left-hand editor. Use the brush on the unwanted edges, and PhotoDirector's AI will remove them.
After cleaning up the extracted subjects, export the picture as a PNG file to get a photo file with a transparent background.
How to Make Image Background Transparent Online
Follow these steps to make your image background transparent with MyEdit:
- Visit MyEdit.Online and upload your image file.
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- AI will instantly detect and remove the background. Fine-tune your edits wit the eraser or restore tools.
- Choose from a grid, graphic, color, or blank background.
- Download your edited image with a transparent background as a png or another format with a replaced background.
Download the Best Transparent Background Maker for Free
With a transparent background maker, you can make your pictures better by removing unwanted elements from the image’s background. Of all the transparent background makers that we have tried, PhotoDirector is the best because it is simple to use, loaded with great features, has a great free version, and has an inexpensive subscription for access to lots of additional, incredible creative assets.
Download PhotoDirector and try it for free today.
Transparent Background Maker FAQ
What is a PNG file?
PNG (portable graphics format) is one of the most commonly used uncompressed image formats. Unlike JPEG file formats, PNG images can display transparent backgrounds and contain 24-bit RGB color palettes. Also, the open format has zero copyright limitations.
Due to its unique features, the PNG format is ideal for making digital stickers, logos, icons, and similar forms of digital art.
What is the difference between JPEG, GIF, and PNG?
GIF is a file format that allows you to create animated images. While PNG and GIF formats have similarities, you cannot animate PNG images. However, PNG has some advantages over GIF. For instance, unlike GIFs, PNGs offer transparency and superior color support.
However, the JPEG file format can support more color variations than GIF and PNG. This feature makes JPEG a better choice for full-color images that contain complex shading and color variations. However, JPEG doesn’t allow for transparency.
Why does an image need to be transparent?
A transparent image is an image with a clear background. Having such a background enables an image to be seen behind it. If you want to put your logo on a different image or a colored background, you should convert it to PNG first. Doing so will give the logo image a transparent background and prevent it from entirely blocking the image behind it.
Also, if you have a photograph with a bad background, you can make the image transparent and impose it on a different photo with a better background.
What features should I look for in a transparent background maker?
Select a high-quality transparent background maker by looking out for these features:
- User-friendliness
- Device compatibility
- Speed
- Affordability
- Support for various image file formats specifically PNG
- Additional photo effects
- Color correction tools
What is the best free image editor for iPhone and Android?
Here are our top five choices:
- PhotoDirector
- Pixlr
- PicsArt
- Snapseed
- Adobe Photoshop Camera
PhotoDirector makes the top of the list for Android and iOS users because it is easy to use and offers everything you need to make an image gorgeous. The app also provides AI support, enabling users to edit images more quickly and accurately. If you are interested in learning more about mobile editors, you can check out our article 7 Best Free Photo Editing Apps for iPhone & Android in 2022.
What is the best free image editor for PC and Mac?
Here are our top five choices:
- PhotoDirector
- GIMP Photo Editor
- Movavi Photo Editor
- BeFunky
- Pixlr
PhotoDirector is the number one free image editor for Windows and Mac computers. The all-in-one photo editing software enables creators to make works of art with just a few clicks. It is also user-friendly and offers various tools for enhancing and altering images for different platforms.
You can even combine photos and turn them into beautiful slideshows with royalty-free background music. In addition, PhotoDirector gets free regular feature updates that ensure users always enjoy the best of what the software offers.
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