Background removal
How to remove a background in Word, PowerPoint and Google Slides
Word and PowerPoint have Remove Background on the Picture Format tab: Office marks the background in magenta, you mark areas to keep or remove, then you keep the changes. Google Slides has Remove background under Edit image, with an eligible Google Workspace or Google One AI Premium subscription.
By the DreamBench team. Updated . Steps checked against Microsoft Support: Remove the background of a picture in Office and Google Docs Editors Help: Remove image backgrounds in Google Drawings, Slides & Vids on .
Remove a background in Word or PowerPoint
- Select the picture.
- On the Picture Format tab, select Remove Background. In some versions the tab is called Format.
- Office marks the background in magenta and leaves the foreground in its own colors.
- Select Mark Areas to Keep and draw over parts that should stay, or Mark Areas to Remove and draw over parts that should go.
- Select Keep Changes. To save the result as its own file, right-click the picture and select Save as Picture.
Microsoft says the same steps work in Excel and Outlook, and that background removal isn’t possible on vector files such as SVG, AI, WMF and DRW.
Remove a background in Google Slides
- Click the image on the slide.
- Click Edit image, then Remove background. Or, at the top, click Format, then Image, then Edit image, then Remove background.
- To get the original back, click Undo or open Version history: Reset image doesn’t restore a removed background.
Google says the feature needs an eligible Google Workspace or Google One AI Premium subscription, and that it also works in Google Drawings and Google Vids.
Limits of the built-in tools, and when a PNG is easier
| Where to find it | Fixing the edge | What it needs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Word and PowerPoint | Picture Format, then Remove Background | Mark Areas to Keep and Mark Areas to Remove, drawn by hand, then Keep Changes | A PNG or JPEG picture: not an SVG, AI, WMF or DRW file |
| Google Slides | Edit image, then Remove background; also in Google Drawings and Google Vids | Undo or Version history; Reset image doesn’t bring the background back | An eligible Google Workspace or Google One AI Premium subscription |
| DreamBench transparent background maker | In the browser, on a phone, a tablet or a computer | No brush: a matting model sets how see-through each edge pixel is | Any DreamBench plan; a photo up to 40 MB, scaled to 2048 pixels on its long edge if larger |
The built-in tools work on one picture inside one file, and in Office you fix the edges by hand. A transparent PNG made once drops into Word, PowerPoint and Google Slides with its transparency kept, so you can reuse the same cutout in every document.
The transparent background maker makes that PNG with a matting model that keeps hair and fine edges. A cutout uses 7 credits.
If Remove Background is missing or grayed out in Word or PowerPoint, check the picture’s format: Microsoft says it isn’t possible on SVG, AI, WMF and DRW files. If the edge is rough, Office’s two marking pens are the control you have. For hair, fur or a busy background, a matting model estimates how see-through each edge pixel is instead, which is what the transparent background maker runs.
When DreamBench is the better choice, and when it isn’t
For a logo or a product on a plain background, the built-in tools are enough, and they keep everything inside your document.
DreamBench helps when the edge is hard, such as hair, fur or a busy background; when you need the same cutout in several files; or when the picture is headed for a video, since a cutout can open in the composer as a reference.
Questions
Why can’t I remove the background of a picture in Word?
Check the file type: Microsoft says background removal isn’t possible on vector files such as SVG, AI, WMF and DRW. Use a PNG or JPEG version of the picture, or make the cutout elsewhere and insert it.
How do I save a picture with its background removed in PowerPoint?
Right-click the picture and select Save as Picture. Choose PNG as the format, so the removed background stays transparent.
Does Google Slides have a background remover?
Yes, under Edit image, then Remove background. Google says it needs an eligible Google Workspace or Google One AI Premium subscription.
Can I undo background removal in Google Slides?
Yes, with Undo or Version history. Google notes that Reset image doesn’t bring a removed background back.
Why is the edge rough or part of the background still there after Remove Background in Word?
The edge is rough or part of the background is still there because Office decided where the subject ends and you haven’t corrected it: while the background is magenta, draw over a stray part with Mark Areas to Remove and over a missing part with Mark Areas to Keep, then select Keep Changes. Hair, fur and glass stay hard to mark by hand; a matting model such as the transparent background maker’s keeps a soft edge there.
Where does the cutout go after I remove the background in PowerPoint or Google Slides?
The cutout stays inside your slide or document. In PowerPoint and Word, right-click it and select Save as Picture to write a PNG file you can use elsewhere. In Google Slides, Google says a removed background can’t be reset with Reset image, so keep the original picture. A PNG made on DreamBench downloads from the page; the upload and the result leave the tools’ storage after 7 days.
Related
DreamBench tools
Terms
Sources
- Microsoft Support: Remove the background of a picture in OfficeMicrosoft, read on
- Google Docs Editors Help: Remove image backgrounds in Google Drawings, Slides & VidsGoogle, read on
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