Remove the background from a thumbnail
Free, no signup, and your image never leaves your device.
A cut-out subject on a bold flat colour is the standard thumbnail formula, and it works because the subject reads clearly at a very small size.
Why these settings
Automatic mode with a generous tolerance, since a thumbnail is seen small and a slightly rough edge is invisible at that scale. Then a saturated colour behind it.
Settings to start from
- How to find the background
- Automatic
- Tolerance
- 34
- Only the area connected to the edges
- On
- File type
- PNG — transparent, lossless
Step by step
- Drop a thumbnail 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
Check it at actual size, not zoomed in. Detail that matters at full size disappears entirely in a 120-pixel-wide thumbnail, and edge flaws you are agonising over will not be visible at all.
Common questions
What is the best way to remove the background from a thumbnail?
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 thumbnail 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.