Remove White Background in Affinity Photo

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Method 1: Using the Built-In Filter
3. Method 2: Using the Select Sampled Color Functionality
4. Method 3: Flood Select Tool
5. Method 4: Creating a Group and Applying Adjustments
6. Conclusion
7. Tips for Making the Sandwich Look Delicious

How to Remove a White Background in Affinity Photo

Affinity Photo is a powerful editing software that allows You to remove a white background from your images. Whether you want to Create a transparent background or replace the white with a different color, there are several methods you can use to achieve the desired result. In this article, we will guide you through four different techniques for removing a white background in Affinity Photo. So let's get started and explore each method in Detail.

Method 1: Using the Built-In Filter

The easiest and quickest way to remove a white background in Affinity Photo is by using the built-in filter. This method works well for vector-Based images with a white background. Follow these steps:

1. Open your image in Affinity Photo.
2. Go to the Filters menu and select Color and then Erase White Paper.
3. Instantly, the white background will be removed, including the shadows and gradients.

One of the advantages of this method is that it removes the white from not only the background but also the shadows and gradients, providing a clean and seamless result.

Pros:

• Quick and easy method
• Removes white from shadows and gradients

Cons:

• May not work well for images with a lot of highlights and whites

Method 2: Using the Select Sampled Color Functionality

If you have an image with a white background and other background colors as well, this method allows you to select the white areas and remove them. Here's how to do it:

1. Duplicate the original layer and rasterize it.
2. From the Select menu, choose Select Sampled Color.
3. Click on the white areas of the image to select them. You can adjust the tolerance to refine the selection.
4. Press the Delete key to remove the selected white areas.

This technique is useful for images with backgrounds that are not a single color, as it allows you to select specific areas based on their color and remove them.

Pros:

• Enables selection of multiple colors for removal
• Works well for images with complex backgrounds

Cons:

• Requires manual adjustment of selections
• May not provide a perfect mask initially

Method 3: Flood Select Tool

The Flood Select Tool in Affinity Photo is a powerful tool for selecting areas with similar colors. This method is ideal for selecting the main object in an image and excluding the shadows. Follow these steps:

1. Select the Flood Select Tool from the toolbar.
2. Click and hold the mouse button while adjusting the tolerance to achieve a rough selection of the object.
3. Release the mouse button and Continue to add to the selection by holding the Ctrl key and clicking on areas that were not initially selected.
4. Fine-tune the selection using other selection tools such as the Lasso Selection.

Once you have the desired selection, you can invert it and Apply a mask to remove the selected white areas.

Pros:

• Allows precise selection of the main object
• Provides options for fine-tuning the selection

Cons:

• Requires manual adjustment of tolerance
• May result in some white bleed

Method 4: Creating a Group and Applying Adjustments

This method involves creating a group with the original layer and applying adjustments to remove the white background. Follow these steps:

1. Duplicate the original layer and create a group with it.
2. Remove the shadows by creating a new layer with overlay Blend mode and painting with white.
3. Use the Black and White Adjustment layer to remove the colors.
4. Further remove the shadows using another overlay blend mode layer.
5. Darken the image with a Curves Adjustment layer.
6. Paint with white on a new overlay blend mode layer to remove any remaining impurities.
7. Apply a merge visible action to create a mask.
8. Use the Select Color dialog to refine the mask.
9. Add a mask to the original layer to complete the removal of the white background.

This technique provides more control and allows for precise adjustments to remove the white background effectively.

Pros:

• Gives control over each step of the process
• Provides the ability to fine-tune the mask

Cons:

• Requires multiple steps and adjustments
• Time-consuming compared to other methods

Conclusion

Removing a white background in Affinity Photo can be achieved using various methods, depending on the complexity of the image and desired results. Each technique has its pros and cons, allowing you to choose the best approach for your specific use case. Experiment with these methods and explore the possibilities to achieve professional-looking results in your image editing projects.

Tips for Making the Sandwich Look Delicious

Aside from removing the white background, you may want to enhance the overall appeal of your sandwich image. Here are a few tips to consider:

1. Group the image with the mask to enable adjustments that only apply to the sandwich.
2. Duplicate the mask and move it to the group to add color details selectively.
3. Add a pixel layer with overlay blend mode to paint specific colors, like yellow for cheese or orange for the bread.
4. Use a curves adjustment layer to add more depth and body to the image.
5. Fine-tune the mask or make further adjustments using the refined mask tool if necessary.

By applying these tips, you can make your sandwich image look even more delicious and enticing.

FAQ

Q: Can I use these methods to remove backgrounds other than white? A: Yes, these methods can be used to remove backgrounds of various colors. Simply adjust the settings and selections accordingly.

Q: Are there any limitations to these techniques? A: While these techniques work well in Affinity Photo, they may not provide perfect results in every scenario. Complex images with intricate backgrounds may require additional manual adjustments.

Q: Can I combine multiple methods for better results? A: Absolutely! Feel free to combine different techniques or experiment with variations to achieve the desired outcome.