Remove the background from a scanned document
Free, no signup, and your image never leaves your device.
A scanned page is flat and evenly lit by design, which makes the paper trivial to key — the question is usually whether you want the paper gone at all.
Why these settings
Automatic mode handles the even scanner background without picking anything. The tolerance covers the slight gradient most flatbeds produce across a page.
Settings to start from
- How to find the background
- Automatic
- Tolerance
- 30
- Only the area connected to the edges
- On
- File type
- PNG — transparent, lossless
Step by step
- Drop a scanned document onto the page, paste it, or choose the file.
- Apply the settings above — they are a starting point, not a rule.
- Check the edges at full size, and fix anything left with the brush.
- Choose transparent or a solid colour, then download.
What to watch out for
Transparent text is rarely what you want. For a document you intend to read, a white background is better; transparency is for overlaying a letterhead or a signature onto something else.
Common questions
What is the best way to remove the background from a scanned document?
Use the settings above as a starting point, then check the edges at full size. Most of the work is choosing the right mode; the sliders only fine-tune it.
Is a scanned document uploaded to a server?
No. It is decoded and processed entirely in your browser, and nothing is sent anywhere. There is no server to send it to.
Is there a watermark or a limit?
Neither. No watermark is added, there is no cap on how many images you process, and no account is needed.