Change the background of a photo, free

Which background to choose

For a marketplace photo on white or grey at the exact size, the white background tool starts there, with Amazon’s 1500 x 2000 ready.

The 7 scenes

They carry the same names as the backgrounds in the SareeViz app, so a photo made there can be moved to another of them here: Nature / Garden, Palace / Haveli, Elegant Outdoor, Festive / Traditional, Indoor Home, Golden Hour Glow and Urban / Architectural.

Each one is an empty place with an open patch of floor in the middle, seen from about chest height, the way a full-length catalogue photo is taken. They suit a model standing full length. A saree laid flat or folded looks odd standing on a garden path, so put flat and folded products on a plain colour.

Making it look real, not pasted on

• Feet on the floor. The photo starts standing on the scene’s floor, in the middle. Drag it with the mouse, or use the sliders on a phone, to move it.
• A soft shadow. A light shadow under the feet stops the model floating. It is left off when your photo is cut off above the feet.
• A light background blur. As a real camera focused on the model would give. Turn it up to hide a scene that does not quite match.
• A small light match. The photo is made at most 8% brighter or darker, and a touch warmer or cooler, to sit in the scene. It is off at first, so your garment’s colours stay exactly as shot; tick it when blending in matters more.

The best results come from a photo where the model stands full length, lit evenly from the front, with some floor showing around the feet. That is also what the background remover handles best, and it is the same cut-out.

Where it struggles

• See-through cloth. Net, organza and chiffon keep the old background showing through them, which stands out against a new scene.
• Hair against a busy background. Loose strands in front of leaves or a patterned wall can keep bits of the old background, or lose their tips.
• Light from a different side. A photo lit from the left stays lit from the left. The light match only nudges brightness and warmth; it cannot move the sun.
• Very large photos. The scenes are 1792 x 2400 pixels, so on a big photo they are enlarged and look softer, much like an out-of-focus background.
• Old shadows. The shadow your photo had on its old floor goes with the old background; the new one is a soft, simple shadow.

How to change a photo’s background

1. 1

   Choose your photo

   A JPEG, PNG or WebP from your phone or computer. It opens in your browser and is not uploaded.

2. 2

   Wait for the cut-out

   The first time, the 48 MB background-removal model downloads once. Then the old background is removed in seconds.

3. 3

   Pick the new background

   Studio White, Light Grey and Warm Off-White, a custom colour, one of the 7 scenes, or a photo of your own.

4. 4

   Place the photo

   Drag it with the mouse, or use the size and position sliders. Keep the shadow on so the feet sit on the floor.

5. 5

   Pick a size and download

   Keep your photo's own size or pick a marketplace or Instagram size, set a file size limit if you need one, and download as JPEG or PNG.

Planning the rest of a listing? Our marketplace image guide lists the photos, sizes and backgrounds each marketplace asks for.

Background is fine but the file is too heavy for a form or a marketplace? The image compressor gets a photo under any file size without changing anything else.

Questions about changing a photo's background