# Remove Background

> Remove the background from an image in one step. The node returns a transparent PNG of the subject, ready to place on a new scene or a brand graphic.

Source: https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/image/remove-background

The **Remove Background** node cuts the subject out of an image. It removes everything behind the subject and returns a transparent PNG, ready for compositing. The node has no settings and no prompt: connect an image and run it.

- Found in: Image › Edit & Retouch
- Output: image
- API type: `remove-background`

## When to use it
- Cut a product out of its photo to place it on white, on a new scene or in an ad.
- Place a person or an object on a new background with [Image Overlay](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/image/image-overlay).
- Make stickers and badges for thumbnails and social posts.
- Prepare a logo. An opaque JPG logo is placed as a rectangle, so remove its background before you use it as a layer.

## Quick start
### Add the node

Press Tab on the canvas and choose **Image › Edit & Retouch › Remove Background**.

### Connect the image

Drag from an image node, such as [Upload Image](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/image/upload-image) or [Generate Image](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/image/generate-image), to the **Image** input.

### Run it

Click **Run** on the node. The cut-out appears on the node as a transparent PNG.

Workflow: A product is cut out of its photo and placed on a generated scene with Image Overlay.

- Upload Image → Remove Background (image)
- Text → Generate Image (prompt)
- Remove Background → Image Overlay (layer 1)
- Generate Image → Image Overlay (base)

## Inputs
| Input | Accepts | What it does |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Image** | Image nodes, such as Upload Image, Generate Image, Modify Image and Extract Frame | The picture to cut out. Required. |

The output, **Image**, is a transparent PNG with only the subject.

## Model

Remove Background runs one model, [Recraft Remove BG](https://nodaro.ai/docs/models/image/recraft-remove-bg). There is nothing to choose.

| Model | Maker | Modes | Credits | Details |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Recraft Remove BG](https://nodaro.ai/docs/models/image/recraft-remove-bg) | Recraft | Background removal | 3 | Remove image background. Cheap utility. |

## Example

A product photo made with [Generate Image](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/image/generate-image), and the transparent PNG that Remove Background returned. The checkerboard marks the transparent area.

Comparison:
- Before: ![A matte black coffee mug with a thin gold rim on a light oak table, with a plant and a window behind it](https://nodaro.ai/docs-media/examples/remove-background/mug.webp)
- After: ![The same mug cut out on a transparent background, with the handle and the gold rim intact](https://nodaro.ai/docs-media/examples/remove-background/mug-cutout.webp)

The mug keeps its handle, including the gap inside it, and its gold rim. The table, the plant and the window are gone.

## Get clean edges

- **Clear edges work best.** The result is cleanest when the subject stands out against the background.
- **Hair and transparent objects are hard.** Fine hair, glass and other see-through objects can keep traces of the old background. Check them before you publish, and touch them up later in the workflow if needed.
- **The cut-out is not a mask.** Remove Background puts the transparency into the PNG itself. When an editing node needs a black-and-white mask of a subject, use [Generate Mask](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/image/generate-mask).

## Tips
- **Add a shadow when you place the cut-out.** A soft drop shadow in [Image Overlay](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/image/image-overlay) lifts a person or a product off a busy background.
- **Upscale after the cut.** Remove the background first, then send the cut-out to [Upscale Image](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/image/upscale-image).
- **Keep brand assets as files.** To put a real logo on an image, remove its background here and place the file with Image Overlay. A generative edit would redraw the logo.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does Remove Background return?

A transparent PNG. The subject keeps its pixels and everything behind it becomes transparent, so you can place the cut-out on any background.

### Do I need to set anything?

No. Remove Background has no settings and no prompt. Connect an image and run the node.

### How do I put the cut-out on a new background?

Wire the cut-out into a layer of Image Overlay, and wire the new background into its Base input. Image Overlay places the subject pixel-exactly, and its AI finish can add a matching shadow.

### Why are the edges of hair or glass not clean?

Background removal works best when the subject has clear edges. Fine hair and transparent objects can keep traces of the old background and may need a touch-up later in the workflow.