Here’s the original image below. I wanted to see if I could take a picture of a table and then attempt to remove the background, as nobody really wants to see the clutter in my kitchen! Thought this might come in handy for future product shots or maybe just posting more professional eBay images.
So after a quick Google, I experimented with a few free sites. Or so I thought!
Site used: https://www.remove.bg/
Quick and easy to use. Gives you a free ‘preview’ sized copy of your image. You get 2 free ‘full sized’ versions, but then you’ll need to pay if you want to use it any more than that. Results are shown below. It’s a bit squiffy but not bad for a few seconds work.
Next up, https://clippingmagic.com/
Lots of functionality and quite easy to understand. You get a little paint tool to colour in things green if you want to keep them and red if they should be deleted. For more precise detail it has a scapel tool to ‘cut’ in closer to the edges of items. I had a quick play, but then spotted I needed to subscribe if I wanted to download the tool. The ‘lite’ version is 3.99 US dollars per month. Great if you’ll use this regularly, but this is a once in a while requirement for me.
Next up, a free tool called https://burner.bonanza.com/
Well, I downloaded my image and a firey dragon started breathing fire on the image until it was ready. Now I know my image is tricky, as the table is a similar shade to the floor tiles, and makes it harder for software like this to distinguish the edges…but this one wasn’t so effective. It does give the chance to do ‘touch ups’ so I had a little play.
Second time around, using their tools, the results are much better. The write up did say it was a free online tool. You do need to log in to create a free account. It claims ” The Background Burner gets better the more you use it. As you upload more and more images, the Background Burner starts to learn what your photos look like, which can lead to improved results.” I haven’t logged in or tested any further images, but so far this is my favourite tool.
And finally, although there are many more tools out there…I attempted to use my rather Old School version of Adobe Photoshop Elements 10. I’ve never used the eraser tool before and I must admit it was pretty slow going. I did a bit of Googling, and like I suspected, the lack of contract between the table and the background is making things more difficult for the tool. Here’s my attempt below! The white patches are my frustated erasing attempts! I’m afraid my attention span waned…I’m sure given time and practice, the results would get better…?
What do you think? Do you know of any free tools that might help me do the job better? I’d love to hear from you.