About the Eraser Tool
The eraser tool rubs out whatever you drag over and leaves the area transparent, ready for a new background. Choose a hard edge for clean cut-outs or a soft edge for a gentle fade, set the size and how fully it erases, and save the result as a transparent PNG at full size. Use it to remove a person from an edge of a photo, clean the leftovers after an automatic background removal, cut a logo out of a white box or fade a picture into a page. Nothing is uploaded: the editing happens in your browser.
Updated October 2026
How to use the Eraser Tool
- 1Select an image or drop one on the page.
- 2Choose the brush size and how hard the edge should be.
- 3Set the opacity: 100% erases fully, lower values only fade the picture.
- 4Drag over the parts you want to erase. Zoom in with your browser for fine work.
- 5Undo if you slip, then press Download PNG to keep the transparency.
When an eraser beats an automatic tool
Automatic background removers do well on simple pictures but leave scraps around hair, glass or similar colours. A manual eraser is the finishing touch: you remove leftover pieces precisely. It is also the best choice when you just want to cut away one corner of a picture without anything fancy.
Hard or soft edge
A hard edge gives a crisp line, ideal for logos and objects with clear outlines. A soft edge makes a gradual fade, ideal for hair, fog or fading a photo into another background. A medium edge around 60 to 80 percent, which is the default, works for most cut-outs.
- Logos and products: hard edge, small brush
- Hair and fur: soft edge, small brush, low opacity
- Fade into a page: very soft edge, large brush
Working precisely
Choose a small brush for edges and a large one for filling empty areas quickly. Use Undo as often as you like: every stroke is a separate step. Zoom into the page in your browser to work on small details; the tool keeps full resolution.
A quick example
Say you have a product photo on a plain background that an automatic tool partly removed. Use a big hard brush to remove the remaining large parts, then a small brush with an edge of about 70 percent to tidy the outline. Download the PNG and place it on a coloured background in any design tool, and the product appears cut out cleanly.
Phone and computer
On a phone, use one finger; the page does not scroll while you touch the picture. On a computer, a ring shows the brush size. Pictures up to about 16 million pixels work and are saved at full size.
Good to know
Erasing changes only the picture's transparency, not its colours, so if you later paint over an erased spot you may see old colours at the edges of soft brushes. For a one-click removal of one colour, see Make Background Transparent. For a clean cutout, try Make Background Transparent, and add a new colour with Add Background Color to Image. For a different background, the Add Background Color to Image tool fills the see-through parts, and the Photo Editor handles other fixes.
Features
- Erase to real transparency
- Hard or soft edge
- Adjustable size and opacity
- Undo and Start over
- Touch, mouse and pen supported
- Saves a transparent PNG
Frequently asked questions
Does the eraser make the picture transparent or white?
Transparent. The checkerboard under the picture shows through where you erased, and the PNG you download has a real transparent background.
Why can't I see the transparency in a JPG?
JPG cannot store transparency. Always download as PNG, which this tool does, if you want to keep it.
How do I get a clean, sharp cut-out edge?
Use a small brush with a hard edge and take your time along the outline. Zoom your browser in for tricky parts.
How do I fade a picture into a page?
Use a big brush with a very soft edge and a lower opacity, and erase along one side in several passes. The picture will gradually fade out.
Can I use it on a photo that already has a transparent background?
Yes. The transparent parts stay transparent and you can erase more.
Is my picture uploaded?
No. The editing happens on your device.