Creating a clean, white background for your photos can significantly enhance their professional appeal and make them stand out. Whether you’re selling products online, showcasing your artwork, or simply want a polished look for your images, knowing how to achieve a white background is essential. This article explores a simple yet effective technique using built-in tools on your Mac.
alt text: A plate on a colorful tablecloth. The plate is the main subject.
Leveraging Mac’s Built-in Photo Editing Capabilities
macOS offers powerful, yet often overlooked, photo editing features that can simplify the process of making a photo background white. Specifically, the combination of Photos and Preview provides a seamless workflow for achieving this effect without needing third-party software.
alt text: Screenshot of a plate isolated on a transparent background in Preview.
The “Copy Subject” Command in Photos
The key to this technique lies in the “Copy Subject” command available in Photos on macOS. This feature intelligently identifies the primary subject of your photo and allows you to copy it without its background. To utilize this:
- Control-click (or right-click) on the image within the Photos app.
- Select “Copy Subject” from the context menu. This action copies the isolated subject to your clipboard.
Creating a New Image with a White Background in Preview
Once the subject is copied, open the Preview app. Instead of opening an existing file, create a new image from the clipboard:
- With Preview open, go to the “File” menu.
- Select “New from Clipboard”. This will paste the copied subject onto a transparent background.
Exporting with a White Background
To finalize the white background:
- In Preview, export the image as a JPEG or PNG. Ensure the Alpha Channel is disabled during export. This setting will replace the transparency with a solid white background.
- After reimporting into Photos, the image will display with a clean white background.
alt text: A plate on a white background.
This method effectively isolates and places the subject onto a white background. However, it works best with images where the subject has well-defined edges. Photos might struggle with complex or blurry boundaries.
Conclusion
Utilizing the “Copy Subject” feature in Photos, combined with Preview’s ability to create new images from the clipboard and export without an Alpha Channel, offers a quick and easy solution for achieving a white photo background on Mac. This streamlined approach eliminates the need for complex editing software, making it an ideal solution for users of all skill levels. By leveraging these built-in tools, you can achieve professional-looking images with clean white backgrounds, enhancing their visual impact and suitability for various applications.
