Save and use a transparent PNG

BG Poof saves your cutout as a PNG with transparency. Place that file over a different background in an editor, presentation, or page layout without a solid rectangle around the subject.

What the checkerboard means

The gray checkerboard behind a BG Poof result is a preview aid. It shows where the image is transparent and is not part of the downloaded file. A photo viewer may display those same areas as white or black, depending on its own background.

To check the file, import the downloaded PNG into an editor that supports transparency and put a colored layer underneath it. The color should show through the removed areas. If you can still see a checkerboard pattern there, check that you saved the PNG rather than a screenshot of the result panel. A screenshot captures the visible squares as pixels.

Why the download is PNG instead of JPG

PNG can store transparency, including partly transparent edge pixels. That allows a soft edge around hair or fur instead of requiring every pixel to be entirely visible or entirely absent. Ordinary JPG files do not support transparency; an export to JPG replaces it with a solid background. See MDN's PNG format reference.

A .png extension alone does not mean a picture has a transparent background. PNG can also contain a fully opaque photograph. Converting a JPG to PNG preserves the photograph's existing background unless you remove it first.

Copying versus downloading

On a computer, right-click the completed cutout and use the browser's copy-image command. Select Show cutout if you were viewing the original. Paste into your destination app and check the edges against its background.

Clipboard behavior depends on both applications. If pasting adds a white rectangle, use Download PNG, then insert or import that file. Downloading also gives you a copy that survives closing the BG Poof tab. On a phone, the download button is the simplest place to start; saving and sharing options vary by browser.

Keep a transparent master copy

Save the PNG before exporting a version for a particular destination. If that destination accepts only JPG, choose the background you want in an editor and export a separate JPG. Keep the PNG for future layouts.

BG Poof keeps the uploaded image's pixel dimensions in its final download. That does not guarantee a perfect outline: the background remover can miss fine details or keep parts of the scene. Inspect the result at the size you intend to use, especially on a background very different from the original. Our quality guide explains what to check before using a cutout.