Remove Background from Product Photos with AI

A clean white background is the universal language of product photography. Amazon requires it. Shopify stores look better with it. Etsy listings with professional-looking product photos convert at nearly double the rate of those with busy backgrounds. The problem is that producing clean backgrounds traditionally requires a photo studio, proper lighting, and hours of post-processing in Photoshop.

AI background removal eliminates the post-processing step entirely. Photograph your product anywhere — on your kitchen table, on a shelf, in your warehouse — and let AI isolate the product with clean edges in seconds.

Why Background Matters for Product Sales

Before diving into the how, here is why this matters commercially:

Marketplace compliance: Amazon requires a pure white background (RGB 255, 255, 255) for main product images. Listings that do not comply get suppressed in search results. eBay and Walmart Marketplace have similar guidelines.

Conversion rates: A/B testing consistently shows that clean product photos on white or solid backgrounds outperform lifestyle shots for primary product images. Shopify merchants report 20-40% higher conversion rates when switching from casual to professional product photography.

Consistency: A catalog with mixed backgrounds looks amateur. When every product sits on the same clean white background, the overall store feels polished and trustworthy.

Multi-channel readiness: One clean cutout can be placed on any background — white for Amazon, lifestyle scenes for social media, gradients for banner ads. The cutout is your master asset.

Marketplace Image Requirements

Each platform has specific guidelines:

Amazon

• Main image must have pure white background (RGB 255, 255, 255)
• Product must fill 85% or more of the frame
• No watermarks, logos, or additional text
• Minimum 1000 pixels on the longest side (1600+ recommended for zoom)

Shopify

• No strict background requirement, but white or light gray is standard
• Square (1:1) aspect ratio recommended
• Minimum 2048x2048 pixels for zoom functionality

Etsy

• No background color requirement
• Minimum 2000 pixels on shortest side
• First photo is most important — clean backgrounds perform best

eBay

• White or light gray background preferred
• Minimum 500 pixels on longest side (1600+ recommended)
• No borders, watermarks, or text overlays on main image

How to Photograph Products for Best Background Removal Results

AI background removal works on any photo, but better source photos produce better cutouts. A few simple shooting tips dramatically improve results:

Use Contrasting Backgrounds

Photograph your product against a background that contrasts with the product's color. A white product on a white table makes the AI's job harder. A white product on a dark surface gives clear edges.

You do not need a professional backdrop. A large sheet of colored paper, a solid-colored tablecloth, or even a differently colored floor works fine. The AI will remove whatever is there.

Light Evenly

Harsh shadows make background removal trickier because the AI has to decide whether a shadow belongs to the product or the background. Even, diffuse lighting minimizes shadows and produces the cleanest cutouts.

Window light on an overcast day is ideal. If using artificial light, bounce it off a white wall or ceiling rather than pointing it directly at the product.

Keep Products Away from Edges

If part of your product extends beyond the frame, the AI cannot remove the background where the product is cropped. Leave margin around all sides of the product.

Shoot at High Resolution

More pixels means more detail for the AI to work with, especially along edges. Use your camera's maximum resolution setting. Smartphone cameras at full resolution are more than sufficient.

Step-by-Step: From Raw Photo to Marketplace-Ready Image

Step 1: Upload Your Product Photo

Open Arteza's background removal tool and upload your product photo. The AI processes the image in seconds, isolating the product from its background.

Step 2: Review the Cutout

Check the edges carefully, especially around:

• Fine details: Lace, mesh, jewelry clasps, small hardware
• Transparent elements: Glass, clear plastic packaging, see-through fabric
• Color similarities: Areas where product and background are similar colors
• Shadows: The AI should remove background shadows but preserve product shadows that add dimension

Step 3: Add Your Target Background

For marketplace listings, place the cutout on a pure white background. For social media, consider lifestyle backgrounds, gradients, or brand colors.

Step 4: Resize for Your Platform

Each marketplace has different size requirements. Resize your final image to meet the platform's specifications while maintaining the product-to-frame ratio they require.

Step 5: Optimize File Size

Large product images slow page load times. Save as JPEG at 85-90% quality for the best balance of file size and visual quality. For products with transparent elements that need a PNG (no background), optimize the PNG to reduce file size.

Product Categories: Special Considerations

Jewelry and Watches

Fine details like chain links, prong settings, and watch hands require high-resolution source images and careful edge inspection after background removal. Reflective metals often pick up background colors that need to be removed.

Tip: Photograph jewelry on a contrasting matte surface. The matte finish prevents reflections that confuse the AI.

Clothing and Textiles

Fabric edges — especially flowing or sheer materials — are the hardest test for background removal. AI handles this well when there is good contrast between fabric and background.

Tip: For clothing photography, use a mannequin or flat lay on a contrasting surface. Ghost mannequin compositing (where the mannequin is removed in post) is another use case where background removal excels.

That composite is a job in its own right, and it no longer requires the mannequin to have been there. Ghost mannequin works from the flat lay directly: the garment comes back holding a human shape, with the collar standing and the shoulders sitting, and no form to hire, clip, or cut out afterwards.

Glass and Transparent Products

Transparent products are inherently challenging because the background is visible through the product. Modern AI models handle this by preserving the transparency rather than treating it as background.

Tip: Photograph glass products against a medium-gray background. Pure white or black backgrounds make transparency harder to detect.

Electronics

Hard-edged products like phones, laptops, and gadgets are the easiest category for background removal. Clean edges with no ambiguity.

Tip: Watch for screen reflections that might show the shooting environment. Power off screens or cover them with a matte protector during shooting.

Scaling Product Photography

For sellers with large catalogs, AI background removal transforms the economics of product photography:

Traditional workflow (per product):

• Studio setup: 5 minutes
• Shooting: 5 minutes
• Photoshop background removal: 15-30 minutes
• Total: 25-40 minutes per product

AI-powered workflow (per product):

• Shooting (any surface): 3 minutes
• AI background removal: 10 seconds
• Review and export: 2 minutes
• Total: 5 minutes per product

At scale, this difference is enormous. A catalog of 500 products drops from 200+ hours of post-processing to under an hour. The cost savings fund better product development, marketing, or simply flow straight to the bottom line.

Combining with Other AI Tools

Background removal is often just one step in a complete product image workflow:

1. Remove background for a clean cutout using Arteza's remover
2. Clean up any edge artifacts with AI inpainting
3. Upscale to marketplace resolution with the AI upscaler
4. Extend canvas for different aspect ratios with outpainting

This pipeline takes a casual phone photo and produces a set of platform-specific, professional-quality product images in minutes.

The Bottom Line

Clean product photography is no longer a barrier to professional-looking e-commerce listings. AI background removal handles the tedious post-processing that used to require Photoshop expertise and significant time per image. Shoot your products under decent lighting, let AI handle the backgrounds, and focus your energy on what actually moves product — great descriptions, competitive pricing, and customer service.