Images speak louder than words and our daily interaction with the visual proves it. Visual cues draw our attention much more readily than the textual component. For us in education, images are an important part of our teaching toolkit. We use them for a wide variety of educational purposes and in different educational activities.



There are several platforms where you can search for and access copyright-free images to use in your teaching. However, sometimes images are embedded in backgrounds that are not necessarily suitable for one’s intended project. The ability to make images transparent and remove unwanted backgrounds  is a key digital skill for teachers. 

Luckily, there are several easy to use web tools  to help you remove image backgrounds without the need for any advanced image editing knowledge. Below are some of the image background removal options I highly recommend for teachers and students. For removing video backgrounds, check out Unscreen.

1- ClipDrop

I have already reviewed ClipDrop in a previous post in the past. I use ClipDrop  on my Mac to capture screenshots and remove image backgrounds. ClipDrop automatically removes backgrounds from captured images. You can also upload images to your ClipDrop account and remove their backgrounds. The app also lets you ” to easily capture any visual from your physical surroundings and paste it right into your digital documents”.

2- Canva

Canva is one of my favourite platforms for designing various forms of visuals including posters and infographics I share with you here in Educational Technology and Mobile Learning. Canva’s editor has this powerful feature that allows users to remove backgrounds from images. You simply upload your image, click on Effects, and choose Background remover. Keep in mind that the background remover is a premium feature. Watch this video to learn more about how to remove image background in Canva.



3- Lunapic

This is a web tool I discovered through Tony Vincent. Lunapic lets you remove pesky backgrounds and make your images transparent. You can upload an image or use its URL to start editing it. Lunapic also provides a bunch of other editing features including: paste/blend, adding text, drawing tools, add borders, crop, and many more. Additionally, Lunapic is free and does not require no sign-up or login.

4- Removebg

Another cool web tool that lets you easily remove backgrounds from images you upload. The tool is also free and you can use it without having to sign up. ToyaNicol3 has this interesting video explaining how to use removebg to remove image background to use in Google Slides. Watch the video to learn more.

5- Remove picture backgrounds in PowerPoint

If you use Microsoft PowerPoint you will have access to its internal background remover feature. You simply upload your picture and click/double click on it, Picture Format appears. Click on Remove background button at the left corner. Watch this video to learn more about how to remove image backgrounds in PowerPoint.

6- Adobe Express

Adobe Express enables anyone to quickly remove background from any picture, Other features provided by this platform include the ability to easily create standout social graphics, logos, flyers, banners, add animation, convert images and videos, create GIFs, export PDFs, add filters, and so much more. Adobe Express offers  thousands of trending templates to help bring any project to life. Collaborate with your colleagues through shared templates and libraries…and it’s free to get started.

7. AI-powered tools

AI Image Enlarger and Background Eraser are two handy tools that enable you to easily remove image backgrounds. Using artificial technology, these tools are pretty simple and easy to use allowing you to generate awesome visuals. Simply upload your image and click to have its background removed. You can then download the final result to your computer.