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This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Travis Boylls. Travis Boylls is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. Travis has experience writing technology-related articles, providing software customer service, and in graphic design. He specializes in Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Linux platforms. He studied graphic design at Pikes Peak Community College.
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When you open or create a new image in Paint 3D, which comes pre-installed on Windows 10 and 11, you can make the background transparent. To remove the background from an existing image in Paint 3D, you'll just need to use the Magic Select tool to select the foreground and then delete the parts you don't want to keep. This wikiHow article teaches you how to remove the background from an image in Paint 3D.
Quick Steps
- Click the Canvas menu and enable "Transparent Canvas."
- Click "Magic Select" in the toolbar at the top.
- Adjust the highlighted area around the object you want to keep and click Next.
- Use Add and Remove to adjust the image cutout and click Done.
- Remove the cutout off to the side of the canvas.
- Highlight the background with the Select tool and press Delete.
Steps
-
![Step 1 Open your project in Paint 3D.]()
Open your project in Paint 3D. Paint 3D comes pre-installed on Windows 10 and 11. It has an icon that resembles a paint drop with different colored stripes. Use the following steps to open Paint 3D.- Click the Windows Start menu.
- Type paint 3D.
- Click the Paint 3D icon.
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![Step 2 Open or create a new project in Paint 3D.]()
Open or create a new project in Paint 3D. To create a new project, simply click New. To open an image, click Open and then click Browse Files. Select an image you want to edit and click Open.Advertisement -
![Step 3 Click Canvas.]()
Click Canvas. You'll see this above the project area next to Effects and Text. A menu bar will then slide out from the right.- If you don't see it there, you'll find it in a drop-down next to Menu.
-
![Step 4 Click the switch next to "Transparent Canvas" to enable it icon.]()
Click the switch next to "Transparent Canvas" to enable it. This will add a transparent canvas behind your current image instead of white space.
-
![Step 1 Click the Magic Select tool.]()
Click the Magic Select tool. It's in the secondary menu bar at the top of the page. -
![Step 2 Highlight the section of the image that you want to keep.]()
Highlight the section of the image that you want to keep. To do so, click and drag the white circles on the image's top, bottom, left, right, and corners inward. Create a highlighted square around the object(s) in the image you want to keep. -
![Step 3 Click Next.]()
Click Next. It's in the menu bar to the right. Paint 3D will automatically detect the object(s) in the image and trace a blue highlight around it. -
![Step 4 Add parts of the image you want to keep.]()
Add parts of the image you want to keep. If any parts of the object you want to keep aren't highlighted, click Add in the menu bar to the right. Then, trace around the parts of the object or sections of the image you want to keep. -
![Step 5 Remove parts of the image you don't want to delete.]()
Remove parts of the image you don't want to delete. If there are parts of the image that are highlighted that you don't want to keep, click Remove in the menu bar to the right. Use it like an eraser and erase the parts of the image you don't want to keep. -
![Step 6 Click Done.]()
Click Done. It's in the menu bar to the right. This will create a cut-out of the object you want to keep. You can now click and drag the foreground object you want to keep. The area behind the object is now filled in using AI.
-
![Step 1 Move the foreground object off the canvas.]()
Move the foreground object off the canvas. To do so, click the Select tool in the menu bar at the top. Then click and drag the foreground object you want to keep off the canvas. -
![Step 2 Select the background.]()
Select the background. Make sure you still have the Select tool selected in the menu bar at the top. Click and drag over the entire canvas background to highlight the background. -
![Step 3 Press Delete.]()
Press Delete. This will erase the background. -
![Step 4 Move the foreground object back onto the canvas.]()
Move the foreground object back onto the canvas. Use the Select tool to click and drag the foreground object back into the white canvas outline.
-
![Step 1 Click Menu.]()
Click Menu. It's the icon that resembles a folder in the upper-left corner. -
![Step 2 Click Save as.]()
Click Save as. It's in the menu bar to the left. -
![Step 3 Click Image.]()
Click Image. It's the first option below "Save as Copy." -
![Step 4 Select an image type that supports transparency.]()
Select an image type that supports transparency. Use the menu bar in the upper-right corner to select an image type. The two image types that support transparency are "PNG" and "GIF." -
![Step 5 Check the box next to "Transparency."]()
Check the box next to "Transparency." It's below the box that says "Pixels" in the menu bar to the right. -
![Step 6 Click Save.]()
Click Save. It's at the bottom of the menu bar on the right. -
![Step 7 Enter a filename and click Save.]()
Enter a filename and click Save. Enter a name for the file where it says "Filename." Then click Save.
Expert Q&A
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About This Article
1. Open your project in Paint 3D.
2. Click Canvas.
3. Click the switch next to "Transparent Canvas" to enable it.
4. Click Select.
5. Press Ctrl+X.
6. Save your document.
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