For an image in a Office file, you can remove parts of the picture that you don't want to include.
As described below, you start with automatic background removal. Then, you manually indicate the areas of the picture that you want to keep and remove.
For vector graphic files—such as Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG), Adobe Illustrator Graphics (AI), Windows Metafile Format (WMF), and Vector Drawing File (DRW)—background removal like this isn't possible, so in those cases the Remove Background option is grayed out.
Original picture
Same picture after some parts have been removed
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Select the picture that you want to remove the background from.
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On the toolbar, select Picture Format > Remove Background, or Format > Remove Background.
If you don't see Remove Background, make sure you have selected a picture. You might have to double-click the picture to select it and open the Picture Format tab.
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The default background area will be colored magenta to mark it for removal, while the foreground will retain its natural coloring.
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Next, on the toolbar, go to Background Removal and do one or both of the following:
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If parts of the picture that you want to keep are magenta (marked for removal), select Mark Areas to Keep, then use the free-form drawing pencil
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For parts of the picture that you want to remove that are not yet magenta, select Mark Areas to Remove, then use the drawing pencil
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When you're done, select Keep Changes.
The magenta areas of the image are removed, leaving a transparent background.
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If you want to save the image in a separate file for later use, right-click the image and select Save as Picture, then save the file on your device.
See Also
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Select the picture that you want to remove the background from.
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Under Picture Tools, on the Format tab, in the Adjust group, select Remove Background.
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Click one of the handles on the marquee lines and then drag the line so that it contains the portion of the picture that you wish to keep, and excludes most of the areas you wish to remove.
You can sometimes get the result you want without any additional work by experimenting with the position and size of the marquee lines.
Tip: To undo marked areas, select Delete Mark and then select the line.
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Next, on the toolbar, go to Background Removal and do one or both of the following:
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If parts of the picture that you want to keep are magenta (marked for removal), select Mark Areas to Keep, then use the drawing pencil
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For parts of the picture that you want to remove that are not yet magenta, select Mark Areas to Remove, then use the drawing pencil
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When you're done, select Keep Changes.
The magenta areas of the image are removed, leaving a transparent background.
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If you want to save the image in a separate file for later use, right-click the image and select Save as Picture, then save the file on your device.
See Also
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Select the picture.
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Select the Picture Format tab of the ribbon, then select Remove Background.
If you don't see Remove Background or the Picture Format tab, make sure that you've selected a picture. You might have to double-click the picture to select it and open the Picture Format tab.
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The default background area is colored magenta to mark it for removal, while the foreground retains its natural coloring.
-
Next, on the toolbar, go to Background Removal and do one or both of the following:
-
If parts of the picture that you want to keep are magenta (marked for removal), select Mark Areas to Keep, then use the drawing pencil
-
For parts of the picture that you want to remove that are not yet magenta, select Mark Areas to Remove, then use the drawing pencil
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When you're done, select Keep Changes.
The magenta areas of the image are removed, leaving a transparent background.
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If you want to save the image in a separate file for later use, right-click the image and select Save as Picture, then save the file on your device.
