Isabella Flores
Microsoft Paint is a simple graphics painting program that comes installed with Microsoft Windows and is commonly used to view and edit images. One of the most common image editing tasks is cutting out a specific part of an image. This can be achieved by removing the background of the image. To do this, you must first select the image you want to edit, then go to the toolbar and select 'Background Removal'. This will allow you to mark the areas you want to keep and remove using a drawing pencil. Once you are done, select 'Keep Changes' and the unwanted areas, marked in magenta, will be removed, leaving a transparent background.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Image type | Vector graphic files like SVG, AI, WMF, and DRW do not support background removal |
| Image selection | Select the image you want to remove the background from |
| Toolbar selection | Select Picture Format > Remove Background, or Format > Remove Background |
| Marking areas to keep | Use the drawing pencil to mark areas on the picture that you want to keep |
| Marking areas to remove | Use the drawing pencil to mark areas on the picture that you want to remove |
| Finalize changes | Select Keep Changes to finalize your selections |
| Save image | Right-click on the image and select "Save as Picture" to save the file on your device |
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What You'll Learn
Selecting the image
To cut out an image in MS Paint, you must first select the image you want to work with. This is done by clicking on the image to ensure it is selected, which will open the Picture Format tab. You should then select the Picture Format tab of the ribbon and choose the 'Remove Background' option. This is found under Picture Tools on the Format tab, in the Adjust group.
The default background area will be coloured magenta to indicate the areas marked for removal, while the foreground will retain its natural colouring. If you do not see the magenta colouring, double-check that your image is selected.
Next, you will need to indicate the areas of the picture that you want to keep and remove. This is done by selecting 'Mark Areas to Keep' and using the free-form drawing pencil to mark the areas you want to keep. You can also select 'Mark Areas to Remove' and use the pencil to indicate the parts of the image you want to get rid of.
Once you have marked the areas you want to keep and remove, you can select 'Keep Changes'. This will remove the magenta areas of the image, leaving a transparent background.
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Removing the background
If the parts of the image that you want to keep are magenta, select 'Mark Areas to Keep' and use the free-form drawing pencil to mark the areas you wish to maintain. For the sections of the image that you want to remove, but that are not yet magenta, select 'Mark Areas to Remove' and use the drawing pencil to indicate these sections.
When you are happy with your selections, click 'Keep Changes'. The magenta areas will then be removed, and you will be left with a transparent background. If you want to save the image as a separate file, right-click on the image and select 'Save as Picture', before saving the file to your chosen location.
It is important to note that this method of background removal is not possible for vector graphic files, such as SVG, AI, WMF, and DRW formats. In these cases, the 'Remove Background' option will be greyed out.
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Marking areas to keep
To cut out an image in MS Paint, you will need to first open the image in the application. Then, on the toolbar, go to Background Removal and follow one or both of the following steps:
If the parts of the image that you want to keep are magenta (marked for removal), select 'Mark Areas to Keep'. Then, use the free-form drawing pencil to mark the areas of the picture that you want to keep.
For example, if you are removing the background of a person standing in front of a wall, you would mark the person with the pencil to indicate that you want to keep that part of the image.
You can also use the drawing pencil to add to or subtract from the marked areas. This is useful if you want to keep certain parts of the background or remove parts of the foreground that were not automatically detected.
It is important to note that the 'Mark Areas to Keep' feature only works with certain file types. For vector graphic files such as SVG, AI, WMF, and DRW, background removal is not possible, so the 'Remove Background' option will be grayed out.
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Marking areas to remove
To cut out an image in MS Paint, you must first select the image you wish to edit. Then, under 'Picture Tools', select Format and choose Remove Background from the options. The default background area will be coloured magenta to indicate that it will be removed, while the foreground will retain its natural colouring.
If the parts of the image you want to keep are magenta, select 'Mark Areas to Keep'. You can then use the drawing pencil tool to mark the areas you wish to preserve. Conversely, if there are parts of the image you want to remove that are not magenta, select 'Mark Areas to Remove' and use the drawing pencil to indicate the areas for removal.
You can toggle between 'Mark Areas to Keep' and 'Mark Areas to Remove' as needed, making sure to carefully outline the desired areas with the drawing pencil tool. This tool allows you to precisely define the boundaries of the areas you want to keep or remove, ensuring a clean and accurate cutout.
Once you have marked all the necessary areas, select Keep Changes. The magenta areas you designated for removal will be eliminated, leaving a transparent background. If you wish to save this edited image as a separate file, right-click on it and choose 'Save as Picture'. You can then save the file on your device for future use or further editing.
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Saving the edited image
Once you have cut out your desired image in MS Paint, you can save it by following these steps:
Right-click on the image and select "Save as Picture". This will allow you to save the file on your device and retain the transparent background. The default background area will be coloured magenta to indicate that it has been marked for removal, while the foreground will retain its original colouring.
If you are working with an image in an Office file, you can remove parts of the picture that you do not want to include. Start with automatic background removal, and then manually indicate the areas you want to keep and remove. For vector graphic files, such as SVG, AI, WMF, and DRW, background removal may not be possible, so the "Remove Background" option will be unavailable.
If you want to save your edited image in a JPEG format, it is important to note that once the image is saved, you cannot undo the edits. The JPEG format does not support layers, so the information of the original pixels is replaced with the new edits. Therefore, if you plan on making changes to a JPEG image, it is recommended to work on a copy of the image to preserve the original.
Additionally, if you are using MS Paint, be aware that the EXIF data of the image may contain a thumbnail version of the image. This thumbnail is separate from the actual image data and is used for identification, naming, and description purposes.
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Frequently asked questions
To cut out an image in MS Paint, you need to first select the image and then use the 'Remove Background' feature.
To select the image, click on it. If you don't see the 'Remove Background' option, double-click the image to select it and open the 'Picture Format' tab.
Once you've selected the image, go to 'Picture Format' or 'Format' in the toolbar and select 'Remove Background'. The default background area will be coloured magenta to mark it for removal, while the foreground will retain its natural colouring.
If you want to keep the magenta areas, select 'Mark Areas to Keep' and use the drawing pencil to mark the areas you want to keep. For parts of the image that you want to remove, select 'Mark Areas to Remove' and use the drawing pencil to indicate those sections.
