# How to make an image transparent

> To make an image's background transparent, remove the background — in one click online with Kenerate, with Picture Format → Remove Background in PowerPoint or Word, Quick Actions → Remove Background on a Mac, or Remove background in Windows Paint — and save as PNG. To make the whole picture see-through, lower its Transparency in PowerPoint, Google Slides or Canva.

URL: https://kenerateai.com/how-to-make-an-image-transparent
Publisher: Kenerate AI (https://kenerateai.com)
Last updated: 26 September 2026

## 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

## Steps
1. Upload the image — Open Kenerate's background remover and add a JPG, PNG or WEBP.
2. Remove the background — Cutout handles most photos; Cutout HD is for hair, fur and glass.
3. Download the PNG — Download the result — a PNG with a transparent background.

## In depth

### 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].

### Why the background comes back
Apps that only understand JPEG, or that flatten layers on export, fill transparent pixels with white or black. Save or share the file as PNG, and re-import it rather than copy-pasting, which some apps flatten.

### Soft edges and halos
Transparency isn't just on or off: edge pixels have partial alpha. Porter and Duff's “over” operation defines how those pixels blend onto a new background [6]; if an app mixes up straight and premultiplied alpha, edges look dark or fringed [7].

References:
[1] W3C — PNG Specification, Third Edition (2025): https://www.w3.org/TR/png-3/
[2] IETF RFC 9649 — WebP Image Format (2024): https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc9649/
[3] AOMedia — AVIF specification: https://aomediacodec.github.io/av1-avif/
[4] W3C — GIF89a specification: https://www.w3.org/Graphics/GIF/spec-gif89a.txt
[5] ITU-T T.871 — JPEG File Interchange Format (JFIF): https://www.itu.int/epublications/publication/itu-t-t-871-2011-05-information-technology-digital-compression-and-coding-of-continuous-tone-still-images-jpeg-file-interchange-format-jfif
[6] Porter & Duff — Compositing Digital Images (SIGGRAPH 1984): https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/800031.808606
[7] Microsoft Learn — Premultiplied alpha: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/develop/win2d/premultiplied-alpha

## FAQ
Q: How do I make an image transparent?
A: 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.

Q: How do I make the background of a picture transparent for free?
A: Upload it to Kenerate (25 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.

Q: How do I make an image transparent in PowerPoint?
A: 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.

Q: How do I make an image transparent in Google Slides?
A: 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.

Q: How do I make an image transparent in Canva?
A: 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.

Q: Why does my transparent image have a white background?
A: It was saved as JPG, which can't store transparency, or the app flattened it. Save or export as PNG (or WebP).

Q: What file format supports transparency?
A: PNG, WebP, GIF (on/off only) and SVG. JPG does not.

Q: How do I make an image transparent on iPhone?
A: In Photos, touch and hold the subject until it lifts, then choose Copy or Share to get it without the background.

## Related pages
- Free AI background remover: https://kenerateai.com/free-ai-background-remover
- Transparent background maker: https://kenerateai.com/transparent-background-maker
- Free PNG maker: https://kenerateai.com/png-maker
- White background: https://kenerateai.com/white-background
- Remove white background: https://kenerateai.com/remove-white-background
- Black background: https://kenerateai.com/black-background
- Transparent logo: https://kenerateai.com/remove-background-from-logo
- Signature PNG: https://kenerateai.com/remove-background-from-signature
- Remove shadow: https://kenerateai.com/remove-shadow-from-photo
- Remove glare: https://kenerateai.com/remove-glare-from-photo
- Remove text: https://kenerateai.com/remove-text-from-image
- Remove background in Canva: https://kenerateai.com/how-to-remove-background-in-canva
- Remove background in Photoshop: https://kenerateai.com/how-to-remove-background-in-photoshop
- Remove background in GIMP: https://kenerateai.com/how-to-remove-background-in-gimp
- Remove background on iPhone: https://kenerateai.com/how-to-remove-background-on-iphone
- Remove a person from a photo: https://kenerateai.com/how-to-remove-a-person-from-a-photo
- All background remover alternatives: https://kenerateai.com/background-remover-alternatives
- remove.bg alternative: https://kenerateai.com/remove-bg-alternative
- Photoroom alternative: https://kenerateai.com/photoroom-alternative
- Pixelcut alternative: https://kenerateai.com/pixelcut-alternative
- Canva BG Remover alternative: https://kenerateai.com/canva-background-remover-alternative
- Adobe Express alternative: https://kenerateai.com/adobe-express-background-remover-alternative
- erase.bg alternative: https://kenerateai.com/erase-bg-alternative
- removal.ai alternative: https://kenerateai.com/removal-ai-alternative
- Picsart alternative: https://kenerateai.com/picsart-background-remover-alternative
- Pixlr alternative: https://kenerateai.com/pixlr-background-remover-alternative
- Clipping Magic alternative: https://kenerateai.com/clipping-magic-alternative
- PhotoScissors alternative: https://kenerateai.com/photoscissors-alternative
- PicWish alternative: https://kenerateai.com/picwish-alternative
- Slazzer alternative: https://kenerateai.com/slazzer-alternative
- Fotor alternative: https://kenerateai.com/fotor-background-remover-alternative

## Sources
- Microsoft — Remove the background of a picture: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/remove-the-background-of-a-picture-c0819a62-6844-4190-8d67-6fb1713a12bf
- Canva Help — Remove photo and video backgrounds: https://www.canva.com/help/background-remover/
- W3C — PNG specification: https://www.w3.org/TR/png-3/