How to Make PNG Images Transparent for Free

August 3, 2020 by Sangalang Kristine

Different image formats could be used, downloaded, and uploaded on the internet. There are three commonly used kinds of images on the internet – the PNG, the JPEG, and the GIF. The JPEG format for images is commonly used for articles, photography, and general kinds of presentations. These images are usually compressible and are small in size. The GIF format is best used for images that could be used further as animations, but they are very similar to a PNG. On the other hand, the PNG format is usually used for logos.

What does it mean to make a PNG image Transparent?

Transparency in images is possible for a variety of image formats. However, it is most commonly done in PNG formatted images. An image being “transparent” simply means that it is addable onto another photo without affecting the overall background. It could easily take the effect of any background, like putting a sticker on a piece of paper. This transparency allows an image to be easily editable. Usually, the background of a “transparent” image could be changed depending on the desires of the user. It could be added to another photo, or different color palettes could be used as a background.

Usually, images that could be made transparent are in the formats of PNG and GIF. If a user wishes to create a transparent JPEG image, the photo or object must be converted first either to a PNG or a GIF format.

Tools on How to Make PNG Images Transparent for Free

There are several tools available for free on the internet that allows a user to easily create a transparent PNG image.

Here are a few of them:

Online PNG Tools 

• Choose and upload an image to be made transparent
• Identify the colors on the image that would be made transparent. Select these on the available color palette, or type in its HTML color code.
• The chosen color will then be made transparent. Users must choose a percentage of all other “similar color tones” that will be made transparent as well. This percentage considers lighting and contrast in images caused by shadows.
• The edited image could be downloaded (to save) or copied to a clipboard.

This particular website does the job but does not have a color pick tool. Since the color must be selected from the palette, it is difficult to color match exactly from the uploaded photo. This website tool works well for solid-colored backgrounds.

RemoveBG Website

This is probably one of the best website tools that are a common source on the internet. Once a photo is uploaded, it automatically removes the background. No other steps are going to be followed. The downside to this, on the other hand, is that the background has to be a solid color. If the background and foreground are indistinguishable, the website will reject the image.

Lunapic Photo Editor

• Upload an image to be made transparent
• Click on a large area of pixels which should be made transparent
• Adjust the slide to determine how much of the pixels should be transformed

This is a good online photo editor as it has multiple functions. It works similarly to the MS Paint software but made available online. The downside to this is that the user cannot exactly select which part of the photo is desired to be made transparent. The user can only control how much (in percentage) of the photo will be made transparent.

Best Paid Tools to use to Make Transparent PNG

It is important to note that many websites offer services for free. However, the quality of the image is not as promising. The images are still usable but it could be made so much better. Also, most of the websites are not as easy to use. This is why it is still important to consider affordable photo editing software like the following:

Adobe Photoshop

This particular software is the best tool to edit an image. There are different ways to make a transparent background for PNG format images. Adobe Photoshop is a good investment for graphic designers and artists as it provides a variety of options.

Canva (30-day Free Trial)

Also Read: Best Places to Find Transparent PNG Images