Removing a white background from an image is a common task in graphic design, whether you are preparing a logo for placement on a colored background, creating assets for web design, or cleaning up scanned artwork. Adobe Illustrator provides several methods to accomplish this, each suited to different types of images and use cases.

Before You Begin

  • Illustrator works best with vector graphics. If your source image is a raster file (JPEG, PNG, BMP), Illustrator can trace it into vectors or you can use masking techniques to hide the background.
  • For photographic images, Adobe Photoshop is generally more appropriate. Illustrator excels at logos, icons, line art, and simple graphics.
  • These instructions apply to Illustrator CS6 and all later versions including the current Creative Cloud release.

Method 1: Image Trace with Ignore White

Image Trace (called Live Trace in versions before CS6) converts a raster image into vector paths. The Ignore White option excludes white areas from the trace result, effectively removing the white background.

Passo-by-Passo

  1. Open Illustrator and go to File > Open or File > Place to bring in your image.
  2. Select the placed image by clicking on it with the Selection Tool (V).
  3. Open the Image Trace panel by going to Window > Image Trace.
  4. In the Image Trace panel, configure the settings:
    • Preset: Choose a preset that matches your image type. Common options:
      • Black and White Logo — for simple one-color logos.
      • 3 Colors or 6 Colors — for simple multi-color graphics.
      • 16 Colors — for more detailed artwork.
      • High Fidelity Photo — for complex images (produces many paths).
    • Threshold (for black and white): Adjusts which pixels are treated as black vs. white.
    • Colors (for color mode): Controls the number of colors in the trace result.
    • Paths: Higher values create more detailed paths; lower values create smoother, simpler shapes.
    • Corners: Controls how many corner points are created.
    • Noise: Sets the minimum area in pixels that is traced. Higher values ignore small details.
  5. Check the Ignore White checkbox. This tells Illustrator to exclude white regions from the generated vector paths.
  6. Click Trace (or the trace will preview automatically if Preview is checked).
  7. Review the result. Adjust settings and re-trace if needed.
  8. Once satisfied, click Expand in the control bar at the top of the screen. This converts the trace result into editable vector paths.
  9. The white background is now gone. You should see the Illustrator transparency grid (a checkerboard pattern) behind your artwork.

Tips for Better Trace Results

  • Clean up the source image first. If possible, increase contrast and remove noise in Photoshop before tracing.
  • Adjust the threshold to ensure the boundary between the foreground and background is detected correctly.
  • Use fewer colors for logos and simple graphics to keep the file size small and the paths clean.

Method 2: Magic Wand Tool

For placed raster images that have been expanded (traced), or for existing vector artwork with a white background shape, the Magic Wand tool can select and delete white areas.

Passo-by-Passo

  1. If working with a raster image, first trace and expand it using Method 1 (but without checking Ignore White if you want to manually select the white).
  2. After expanding, the result is a group of vector shapes. Go to Object > Ungroup (Ctrl+Shift+G / Cmd+Shift+G) to ungroup the paths. You may need to ungroup multiple times.
  3. Select the Magic Wand Tool (Y) from the toolbar.
  4. Double-click the Magic Wand tool icon to open its settings:
    • Fill Color Tolerance: Set to a low value (around 10-20) for precise selection, or higher for a broader range of whites and near-whites.
    • Check Fill Color to select by fill color.
  5. Click on a white area of the artwork. The Magic Wand selects all shapes with a similar fill color.
  6. Press Delete to remove the selected white shapes.
  7. If some white areas remain, repeat the selection and deletion.
  8. Check for any small white fragments by zooming in, especially around the edges of the foreground artwork.

Method 3: Clipping Mask

A clipping mask hides everything outside a defined shape, which is useful when you want to keep a specific portion of the image and remove everything else, including the background.

Passo-by-Passo

  1. Place your image in Illustrator (File > Place).
  2. Using the Pen Tool (P), Rectangle Tool (M), Ellipse Tool (L), or any shape tool, draw a shape over the area of the image you want to keep.
    • The shape should cover exactly the foreground subject.
    • For complex shapes, the Pen Tool gives the most control.
  3. Make sure the shape is positioned above the image in the layer order. You can check this in the Layers panel.
  4. Select both the shape and the image:
    • Click the image, then hold Shift and click the shape.
    • Or drag a selection box around both objects.
  5. Go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make (Ctrl+7 / Cmd+7).
  6. Everything outside the shape is now hidden. The white background is effectively removed.

Editing the Clipping Mask

  • To adjust the mask shape, double-click the masked group to enter isolation mode, then edit the clipping path.
  • To release the mask, select the group and go to Object > Clipping Mask > Release (Ctrl+Alt+7 / Cmd+Option+7).

Method 4: Opacity Mask (for Gradual Transparency)

If you need partial transparency or soft edges rather than a hard cutout:

  1. Place the image and create a black-and-white shape on top:
    • White areas will be fully visible.
    • Black areas will be fully transparent.
    • Gray areas will be partially transparent.
  2. Select both the image and the mask shape.
  3. Open the Transparency panel (Window > Transparency).
  4. Click the panel menu (hamburger icon) and select Make Opacity Mask.

This technique is useful for fading edges or creating vignette effects.

Verifying Transparency

To confirm the background has been removed:

  1. Go to View > Show Transparency Grid (Ctrl+Shift+D / Cmd+Shift+D).
  2. The transparency grid (checkerboard pattern) should be visible where the white background used to be.
  3. If you see solid white instead of the checkerboard, the white background is still present.

Exporting with Transparency

After removing the background, you need to export in a format that supports transparency.

Export as PNG

  1. Go to File > Export > Export As (or File > Export in older versions).
  2. Choose PNG as the format.
  3. In the PNG Options dialog:
    • Resolution: Choose 72 ppi for web, 150-300 ppi for print.
    • Background Color: Select Transparent.
    • Anti-Aliasing: Art Optimized (for crisp edges) or Type Optimized (for text).
  4. Click OK.

Export as SVG

For web use where you want a scalable vector:

  1. Go to File > Export > Export As and choose SVG.
  2. SVG inherently supports transparency — no white background will be included.

Save as PDF or EPS

Both PDF and EPS formats support transparency when saved with the appropriate settings. Ensure you select a version that supports transparency (PDF 1.4 or later, or EPS with transparency support).

Formats That Do Not Support Transparency

  • JPEG — always has a solid background. If you export to JPEG, the transparent areas will be filled with white (or whatever background color is set).
  • BMP — does not support transparency in most configurations.

Solução de Problemas

White Areas Remain After Image Trace

  • Verify that Ignore White is checked before tracing.
  • If the background is not pure white (for example, light gray or off-white), adjust the Threshold or manually select and delete the near-white shapes after expanding.

Edges Look Jagged After Tracing

  • Increase the Paths slider for more detailed edge detection.
  • Use a higher-resolution source image.
  • For the best results, start with a clean, high-contrast image.

Exported PNG Still Has a White Background

  • Confirm that Background Color is set to Transparent in the PNG export options.
  • Check that no white rectangle exists behind your artwork in the Layers panel.
  • Make sure you are not viewing the PNG in an application that displays a white background for transparent images (some image viewers do this).

Resumo

To remove a white background from an image in Adobe Illustrator, use Image Trace with the Ignore White option for the simplest approach with raster images. For precise control, use a clipping mask to define exactly which area to keep. Use the Magic Wand tool to select and delete white vector shapes after tracing. Always export in a transparency-supporting format (PNG with transparent background or SVG) to preserve the transparent result.