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How Do I Remove the Transparent Background in Illustrator?

Published in Adobe Illustrator 3 mins read

To effectively remove a transparent looking background in Adobe Illustrator, you'll typically be dealing with either an image with a faux transparent background or artwork you want to export with a transparent background. Here's how to handle both situations:

1. Removing a Background from a Raster Image (e.g., JPEG with a white background)

Illustrator is primarily a vector graphics editor, so removing a background from a raster image (like a JPEG that only appears to be transparent because it's white) requires slightly different steps:

  • Import the Image: Open Adobe Illustrator and place or open your image (File > Place... or File > Open...).
  • Select the Image: Click on the imported image to select it.
  • Use the Image Trace Feature (Optional): For more precise control and to convert the raster image to vector, consider using Image Trace (Window > Image Trace). Adjust the settings, such as the number of colors, until the image is accurately represented. Click "Expand" in the Control panel or from the Object menu after tracing. This will convert the image to editable vector paths. If you don't need vector paths, skip this step.
  • Use the Magic Wand Tool: Select the Magic Wand Tool (Y) from the toolbar.
  • Click the Background: Click on the background color (e.g., the white area you want to remove). The Magic Wand Tool selects areas with similar colors.
  • Adjust Tolerance (If Needed): If the selection isn't accurate, adjust the Tolerance value in the Properties panel (Window > Properties) or in the Magic Wand panel (Window > Magic Wand). A higher tolerance selects a wider range of colors.
  • Delete the Background: Press the Delete key to remove the selected background.
  • Ungroup (If Necessary): If the image was traced and the background isn't immediately deletable, right-click on the image and choose "Ungroup" multiple times until you can select and delete the individual background elements.

2. Ensuring Transparency on Export

Sometimes, the goal isn't to remove a background but to preserve the transparency when saving or exporting artwork. Here's how:

  • Design with Transparency in Mind: In Illustrator, areas that are genuinely transparent will show the artboard's grid (View > Show Transparency Grid). If you're creating shapes, ensure they don't have a fill color where you want transparency.
  • Export for Web (Save for Web): Choose File > Export > Save for Web (Legacy)... or File > Export > Export As...
    • PNG: Select the "PNG-24" format to support transparency.
    • GIF: GIF supports transparency, but with a limited color palette.
    • Settings: In the Save for Web dialog, ensure the "Transparency" checkbox is selected. For "Export As...", ensure the format is set to PNG and "Use Artboards" and "Transparency" are checked.
  • Export for Print (Using PDF):
    • Choose File > Save As... and select "Adobe PDF (pdf)".
    • In the Save Adobe PDF dialog, under "Adobe PDF Preset," you can choose a preset like "Illustrator Default" or "Press Quality." Ensure that compatibility is set to a version that supports transparency if you are concerned about older software opening it. Transparency is typically preserved by default in PDF.

Example Scenarios:

  • Scenario 1: Removing a white background from a logo to place it on a colored website header. Follow the steps in Section 1 to remove the white. Then export as a PNG-24 (Section 2) to preserve the transparency.
  • Scenario 2: Creating a sticker design with a transparent outline. Design the sticker in Illustrator with no fill color for the outline. Export as a PNG-24 to ensure the outline is transparent.

By following these steps, you can effectively remove backgrounds from images or preserve transparency when saving your artwork from Illustrator.