How to Automatically Remove Background in Procreate (And a Faster Route for Icons)

Whether you are trying to isolate a product shot for a landing page or you need to extract a logo to make custom UI assets, getting rid of a background doesn't have to end in tears. You don't need to spend six hours manually erasing around your subject or struggling to make transparent assets; Procreate has built-in tools to handle this in seconds.

The most efficient method for extracting your art from an image is using the Automatic Selection tool to isolate and remove a tricky subject. This technique works best when you are trying to remove a white background or any simple, contrasting backdrop.

Here is the step-by-step workflow to cleanly delete a background:

1. Activate the Selection Tool Open your image in Procreate and tap the Selection icon (the S-shaped ribbon) in the top-left menu. From the menu that appears, select Automatic at the bottom.

2. Target the Background (or Invert the Subject) With the tool active, tap on the white part of the image (or whatever color makes up your background). This will highlight the area you are targeting for removal. Alternatively, if it is easier to select your main subject first, tap the subject to highlight it, then tap Invert in the bottom selection menu so that the background becomes the active selection instead.

3. Adjust the Selection Threshold This is the most critical step for getting clean edges. When you tap the background, continue holding down your Apple Pencil and drag it left and right across the screen. Sliding your pencil adjusts the selection threshold. Sliding right increases the tool's reach, while sliding left reduces it. Zoom in to ensure the selection is hugging your subject perfectly without eating into your artwork.

4. Delete the Background Once your background is perfectly selected, it's time to delete the background. The absolute easiest way to do this is to use the three-finger Clear gesture—simply scrub three fingers back and forth across the screen to instantly clear the selected area.

Alternatively, you can swipe three fingers down on the screen to pull up the Copy and Paste menu. This shortcut is much faster than digging through the standard wrench menu. From there, simply hit "Cut" to delete the background.

Pro Tips and Limitations

• Watch out for fringing: While the Automatic Selection tool is fast, it has a notable limitation: it often leaves behind fringing or white halos on complex images. If your subject has soft edges, gradients, or intricate details, the threshold adjustment might not catch every pixel, leaving a faint white outline around your isolated asset.
• Check for stray pixels: After you remove the background, turn off the default white "Background color" layer at the bottom of your layers panel, or temporarily change it to a harsh neon color. This will immediately expose any stray background pixels or white halos you might have missed.
• Don't panic over mistakes: If you accidentally delete part of your drawing and the edges look jagged, don't have a complete mental breakdown. Just double-tap the screen to undo, zoom in closer, and try dragging your selection threshold slightly to the left for a less aggressive cut.

A Faster Route for Icons

If you are a founder or marketer building UI and marketing assets, dealing with white halos and manual threshold sliders in Procreate can severely slow down your workflow.

For product teams needing high-quality assets instantly, Oven AI is the ultimate alternative. Instead of drawing and manually cutting out backgrounds, Oven AI generates studio-grade 3D icons with automatic background removal built-in. You can bypass the manual editing process entirely and export your generated assets instantly to transparent PNG, WEBP, or SVG formats—ready to drop directly into your landing pages, presentations, or app interfaces.