Background removal

Also known as background separation, cut-out. Category: Photography techniques

Background removal separates the product from the background of a photo so the background can be replaced with pure white, a colour or transparency. It can be done manually with clipping paths or masks, or automatically with algorithms that rely on controlled lighting.

Automatic methods work best when the background is evenly lit and clearly different from the product. Back-lit silhouettes, glass plates and key colours make separation reliable even for complex edges.

How PhotoRobot uses it

PhotoRobot Controls removes backgrounds semi-automatically or manually, by level or by flood fill, with a Highlight white tool to find the right threshold. Other methods are Freemask from front- and back-lit shots and chroma key. Settings are saved in presets and applied to every image after capture.

See on photorobot.com

  • Freemask: PhotoRobot background removal from a front-lit and a back-lit silhouette shot of the same angle.
  • Chroma key: Removing everything of one specific colour from an image, such as a green screen or a coloured stand.
  • Clipping path: A hand-drawn vector outline used to cut a product out of its background.
  • Alpha channel: An extra image channel that stores the transparency of every pixel.
  • White background: A background of pure white (RGB 255, 255, 255), standard for e-commerce product images.
  • Transparent background: An image whose background pixels are transparent, so the product can be placed on any colour or layout.

Where this term appears on photorobot.com

Mentioned on 58 pages of photorobot.com. The 20 most relevant:

  1. Product Photo Background Removal and Adjustment (Tutorial)
    PhotoRobot presents how to capture product photos with precise background removal, and deploy software tools for background adjustment and optimization.
  2. Getting Started - A PhotoRobot User Support Manual (Manual)
    When getting started, it is recommended to keep the “auto center” function on, as seen in the picture below: Background Removal.
  3. eCommerce Photography - How to Optimize Production (Blog)
    …as a microchip to as large as automobiles) Shape (for products that require advanced background removal operations) Color (light, dark, reflective, semi- or fully- transparent) Capture settings…
  4. Editing Images with PhotoRobot Post-Processing Software (Manual)
    You can adjust or remove the background semi-automatically or manually with 3 types of background removal functions: by level, by flood, or freemasking.
  5. Image Editing Tools (Software)
    Identify the correct threshold for by-level background removal, and apply across images.
  6. Pro Tips: Advanced Photo Editing Tools and Techniques (Blog)
    Automate everything from basic editing like image cropping & object centering, to advanced tools for background removal, image overlay, and more.
  7. What’s New in the November PhotoRobot Software Release (Blog)
    The latest release in PhotoRobot_Controls delivers new tools & features for background removal, photo tilt correction, and product videos.
  8. Using AI to Enhance Product Photo Backgrounds (Blog)
    While PhotoRobot is able to automatically remove the background from product photos, AI tools can replace backgrounds with brand-accurate flair.
  9. 360° Product Photography - Content Formats and Production (Blog)
    Post-production: photo editing and retouching (background removal, image enhancements); 5.
  10. Packshot Photography - What is it, and How to Produce It (Blog)
    In any case, PhotoRobot equipment & software makes background removal from nearly any object quick and hassle-free.
  11. Mastering Product Photography: Apparel and Clothing (Blog)
    It’s also important to have background removal tools and software for post-processing and editing to streamline uploading imagery to online marketplaces and advertising platforms, as well as…
  12. 360 Spin Product Photography - PhotoRobot Example Outputs (Output type)
    Automate the capture of one or multiple 360-degree rows, post-process images, remove background, optimize, and publish! Make products defy gravity with single-row 360 and multi-row 3D spins Present…
  13. Professional Tips for Footwear Product Photography (Tutorial)
    Among which angles to photograph, style guides can specify types of product photos, editing parameters, background removal, and best lighting.
  14. Capturing Images with PhotoRobot - User Support Manual (Manual)
    Freemask background removal is a process in which two images are captured for each frame: Main image - a standard photo of the object Mask image - a photo of the object lit from behind Freemask main…
  15. Photo Studio Automation - A Buyer’s Guide by PhotoRobot (Blog)
    If it’s only background removal on a set of 500 images, there are many ways to do that without PhotoRobot.
  16. PhotoRobot_Controls: Auto-Centering 360 Product Photography (Blog)
    Easily create a ghost mannequin effect, automatically crop photos, handle background removal and more with PhotoRobot.
  17. What is Robotic Product Photography? (Glossary)
    This provides lossless background removal even for complex edges like hair or translucent materials.
  18. PhotoRobot Workflow Demonstration - Video Recap (Video)
    We also showcase advanced image post-processing features, like auto centering spin image sets, and background removal by freemasking.
  19. Product Photoshoots with PhotoRobot (Video)
    Introduction & Object Selection Setup & Background Removal Scan-in & Robot Arm Control Image Capture & Management Cloud Processing & Publishing Transcript.
  20. Advanced Software Tools for Image Capture & Control (Blog)
    Freemask is one of the quickest and most exact ways to remove the background from product photos.

…and 38 more pages.

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