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Guide · every app

How to make an image transparent

Make the background transparent — or the whole picture see-through — online, in PowerPoint, Word, Google Slides, Canva, Photoshop, GIMP, on a Mac, an iPhone or in Windows Paint.

Black line-art fox logo printed on white paper (original)
Black line-art fox logo printed on white paper (cut out)
OriginalCut out
  • Both meanings covered
  • 10 apps, exact menus
  • Why it saves as white — fixed
  • One-click online option

Updated by the

Quick answer

Updated

How do you make an image transparent?

To make an image's background transparent, remove the background and save it as PNG: in one click with Kenerate, or with Remove Background in PowerPoint, Word, Mac Quick Actions or Windows Paint. To make the whole picture see-through, lower its Transparency in PowerPoint, Google Slides or Canva. JPG can't store transparency.

Key facts

Transparent formats
PNG, WebP, GIF, SVG — not JPG
PowerPoint / Word
Picture Format → Remove Background
Mac
Finder → Quick Actions → Remove Background
Windows 11
Paint → Remove background

First, which one?

“Transparent” means two different things

Most people want the first. Presentations and watermarks usually need the second.

A transparent background

The subject stays solid; only the background disappears. Saved as a PNG, it sits cleanly on any colour or photo. Show me how

A see-through (semi-transparent) image

The whole picture fades so whatever is behind it shows through — used for slide backgrounds, overlays and watermarks. Show me how

Plant with a transparent background

Online · any device

Make an image's background transparent online

The fastest way, and it works for every app below: make the PNG once, use it anywhere.

  1. Step 1: Upload the image

    Open the background remover and add a JPG, PNG or WEBP.

  2. Step 2: Remove the background

    Cutout handles most photos. Use Cutout HD for hair, fur, glass and logos on paper.

  3. Step 3: Download the PNG

    The download is a PNG with a transparent background — ready for any app below.

Microsoft 365

How to make an image transparent in PowerPoint and Word

Three different tools, depending on what you need.

  1. Step 1: Remove the background

    Select the picture, then Remove Background. Mark areas to keep or remove, then click Keep Changes.

    Picture FormatRemove Background

  2. Step 2: Or make one colour transparent

    Best for logos on a flat colour: click the colour to turn it transparent.

    Picture FormatColorSet Transparent Color

  3. Step 3: Or make the whole picture see-through

    Pick a preset or open Picture Transparency Options for an exact percentage.

    Picture FormatTransparency

  4. Step 4: Save the result as PNG

    Right-click the picture and choose Save as Picture → PNG to keep the transparency outside PowerPoint.

    Tip: Word has the same Picture Format tools.

Google Slides

How to make an image transparent in Google Slides

  1. Step 1: Open Format options

    Select the image and open Format options from the toolbar or the right-click menu.

    Format optionsAdjustments

  2. Step 2: Drag the Transparency slider

    This makes the whole image see-through — useful for watermark-style backgrounds on a slide.

  3. Step 3: Need the background gone?

    Google Slides can't remove backgrounds. Cut the image out first, then Insert → Image → Upload from computer.

Apple

Make an image transparent on a Mac or iPhone

Built-in tools, no app to install.

  1. Step 1: Mac: Remove Background quick action

    In Finder, right-click the image and choose Quick Actions → Remove Background. A new file with a transparent background appears next to it.

    FinderQuick ActionsRemove Background

  2. Step 2: Mac: Instant Alpha in Preview

    For a plain background, show the Markup toolbar in Preview, choose Instant Alpha and drag over the background, then press Delete.

    PreviewMarkupInstant Alpha

  3. Step 3: iPhone: lift the subject

    In Photos, touch and hold the subject until it lifts, then choose Copy or Share to use it without the background.

Windows 11

Make an image transparent in Windows Paint

  1. Step 1: Open the image in Paint

    Right-click the image and choose Open with → Paint (Windows 11).

  2. Step 2: Click Remove background

    It's in the Image group on the toolbar. Paint removes the background automatically.

    PaintImageRemove background

  3. Step 3: Save as PNG

    Use File → Save as → PNG picture so the transparency is kept.

Design apps

Canva, Photoshop and GIMP

Canva

Select the image and use the Transparency slider to make it see-through. Removing only the background needs BG Remover, which is on Canva's paid plans — see how to remove a background in Canva.

Photoshop

Lower the layer's Opacity in the Layers panel for a see-through image, or use the Remove Background quick action — see how to remove a background in Photoshop.

GIMP

Use Colors → Color to Alpha to turn a colour transparent, or the layer Opacity slider — see how to remove a background in GIMP.

Checked 26 September 2026

What each app can do

“Remove background” keeps the subject solid; “see-through” fades the whole picture.

What each app can do — checked 26 September 2026
KeneratePowerPoint / WordGoogle SlidesCanvaMac / iPhoneWindows Paint
Remove backgroundYesYesNoPaid plansYesYes
Make whole image see-throughNoYesYesYesNoNo
Saves a transparent PNGYesSave as PictureNoDepends on planYesSave as PNG
What you needFree creditsMicrosoft 365FreePaid for BG RemoverFreeFree

Sources: Microsoft — Remove the background of a picture · Canva Help — Remove photo and video backgrounds · W3C — PNG specification

Look closer

What a clean transparent edge looks like

Zoom into a Cutout HD result. A good transparent PNG has soft edge pixels, not a jagged outline or a white fringe.

  • Glass stays partly see-through
  • Petal edges soft, not stair-stepped
  • No white halo from the table
Glass perfume bottle with peonies on a marble table (original)
Glass perfume bottle with peonies on a marble table (cut out)
OriginalCut out
Glass perfume bottle with peonies on a marble table — cut out with Kenerate Cutout HD. The checkerboard is transparent.

Troubleshooting

Why does my transparent image turn white?

  • It was saved as JPG. JPG can't store transparency. Save or export as PNG or WebP.
  • The app flattened it. Some apps paste images onto a white page. Use “Save as Picture” (Office) or Export as PNG.
  • You copied it from a browser. Right-click → Save image as, instead of copy and paste.
  • The viewer shows white. Some photo viewers display transparency as white. Place the PNG on a coloured slide to check.

Made transparent

Transparent PNG examples

Real Kenerate cut-outs — tap “Original” to see the photo.

Example uses

Who needs transparent images

Common jobs, with the real before and after.

Illustrative examples of typical workflows, not customer reviews.

  • Black line-art fox logo printed on white paper — Transparent PNG · Cutout HD

    Presenter

    Drops a transparent logo onto dark and light slides without a white box around it.

    Try this workflow
  • Monstera plant in a white pot on a cluttered desk — Transparent PNG · Cutout HD

    Teacher

    Uses cut-out plants and animals on coloured worksheets in Google Slides, which can't remove backgrounds itself.

    Try this workflow
  • Glass perfume bottle with peonies on a marble table — Transparent PNG · Cutout HD

    Designer

    Places a glass bottle PNG over new backgrounds while keeping the see-through glass.

    Try this workflow

How it works

How it works in the app

  1. Step 1

    Add your image

    Open Remove & Erase and drop in a photo — products, people and pets all work.

  2. Step 2

    Choose what should happen

    Pick Cutout for a fast transparent PNG, HD for hair and fur, Pick for one object or Erase to remove something.

  3. Step 3

    Click Remove background

    Press the button and the cut-out lands in your results in seconds.

  4. Step 4

    Compare and download the PNG

    Drag the slider to compare, add a new background if you like, then download the transparent PNG.

1Add your image2Choose what should happen3Click Remove background4Compare and download the PNG
Kenerate AI Remove and Erase tool with a sneaker photo loaded as the input image

Open Remove & Erase and drop in a photo — products, people and pets all work.

1 / 4 · Add your image

FAQ

Transparent image questions

How do I make an image transparent?

If you mean a transparent background, remove the background (Kenerate, PowerPoint's Remove Background, Mac's Remove Background quick action or Windows Paint) and save as PNG. If you mean making the whole picture see-through, lower its transparency or opacity in PowerPoint, Google Slides, Canva or Photoshop.

Link to this answer

How do I make the background of a picture transparent for free?

Upload it to Kenerate (free credits on sign-up) and download the PNG. On a Mac, right-click the image in Finder and choose Quick Actions → Remove Background; on Windows 11, open it in Paint and click Remove background.

Link to this answer

How do I make an image transparent in PowerPoint?

Select the picture, then Picture Format → Remove Background to drop the background, or Picture Format → Transparency to make the whole picture see-through. For a solid colour, Picture Format → Color → Set Transparent Color.

Link to this answer

How do I make an image transparent in Google Slides?

Select the image, open Format options → Adjustments and drag the Transparency slider. Google Slides can't remove a background — cut it out first and insert the PNG.

Link to this answer

How do I make an image transparent in Canva?

Select the image and use the Transparency slider to make it see-through. To remove only the background, use BG Remover on a paid plan, or upload a transparent PNG made elsewhere.

Link to this answer

Why does my transparent image have a white background?

It was saved as JPG, which can't store transparency, or the app flattened it. Save or export as PNG (or WebP).

Link to this answer

What file format supports transparency?

PNG, WebP, GIF (on/off only) and SVG. JPG does not.

Link to this answer

How do I make an image transparent on iPhone?

In Photos, touch and hold the subject until it lifts, then choose Copy or Share to get it without the background.

Link to this answer

In depth

Transparency, format by format

Which files can be transparent, which can't, and why the result sometimes looks wrong — with sources.

On this page

Which formats keep transparency

Before you save, check the format — the most common reason a “transparent” image isn't:

  • PNG — full alpha channel for soft edges [1].
  • WebP and AVIF — alpha supported, smaller files for the web [2][3].
  • GIF — one transparent colour only, so edges look jagged [4].
  • JPEG — never transparent [5].

Keep going

Related tools and guides

By Last updated and reviewed

Written by the Kenerate team; menu paths checked against each app's current version, examples are real Kenerate outputs.

Sources: Microsoft — Remove the background of a picture · Canva Help — Remove photo backgrounds · W3C — PNG specification (alpha channel)

Make your image transparent

Upload, remove the background, download a PNG. Free credits on sign-up.

Make it transparent

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