3 Best Ways to Remove Backgrounds in Illustrator

3 Best Ways to Remove Backgrounds in Illustrator,

Here are the 3 best ways to remove backgrounds in Adobe Illustrator, depending on your image type and desired output:

1. 3 Best Ways to Remove Backgrounds in Illustrator, Use the Image Trace + Expand Method (Best for vectorizing raster images)

Ideal for: Removing background from logos, illustrations, or scanned drawings.

Steps:

1. Open your image in Illustrator.
2. Select the image.
3. Go to Window > Image Trace.
4. In the Image Trace panel:
   • Set Mode to Black and White or Color as needed.
   • Enable Ignore White (under “Advanced”).
5. Click Expand in the toolbar after tracing.
6. Use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to select and delete any leftover background paths if needed.

✔️ Pros: Turns raster images into editable vector shapes with transparent backgrounds.

2. Use the Pen Tool or Shape Builder Tool (Best for clean vector art and manual control)

Ideal for: Manually removing backgrounds from vector artwork.

Steps:

1. Use the Pen Tool (P) or Shape Tool to draw a shape around the subject.
2. Select both the background and the subject shapes.
3. Use the Shape Builder Tool (Shift + M) to remove the unwanted background areas.
4. Alternatively, apply a Clipping Mask to hide background elements.

✔️ Pros: High precision and clean results.

3. 3 Best Ways to Remove Backgrounds in Illustrator: Use an Opacity Mask (Best for semi-transparent or soft-edged backgrounds)

Ideal for: Removing soft or gradient backgrounds from placed images.

Steps:

1. Place your image.
2. Create a grayscale mask shape (white reveals, black hides).
3. Select the image and mask shape.
4. Open the Transparency panel (Window > Transparency).
5. Click the Make Mask button.
6. Uncheck Clip and check Invert Mask if needed.

✔️ Pros: Great for soft edges and semi-transparent fades.

Bonus Tip:

For quick jobs or photo backgrounds, you might want to remove the background in Photoshop first, then bring the image into Illustrator.

Would you like a step-by-step example using one of these methods?

3 Best Ways to Remove Backgrounds in Illustrator,

The three most effective ways to remove backgrounds in Illustrator are using Image Trace, the Pen tool with clipping masks, and the Magic Wand tool. 

Here’s a breakdown of each method: 

1. 1. Image Trace:
   • Convert your image to a vector using the Image Trace feature.
   • This creates a vector drawing of your image, allowing you to easily delete unwanted background elements.
   • Photoroom says this is a good option for simple backgrounds and outlines.
2. 2. Pen Tool with Clipping Masks:
   • Outline the subject you want to keep using the Pen tool.
   • Create a clipping mask by selecting the outline and the image and then right-clicking and selecting “Make Clipping Mask”.
   • This method provides the most precision and control for complex or detailed backgrounds.
3. 3. Magic Wand Tool:
   • Use the Magic Wand tool to select and remove areas of solid color backgrounds.
   • This is a quick and easy way to remove simple, uniform backgrounds.