GIMP Version: 2.6.11
Operating System: Windows
OS Version: Windows 7 Home 64bit
GIMP Experience: Beginner Level

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I would like to remove backgrounds from images so that it becomes transparent. I have looked into this and have found a few ways some of which are quite complicated. What is the best and quickest way to achieve this please? Thanks

If it is a singular colour background I would use the magic wand tool to select that then lower or raise the threashold in the tool settings to get the background selected. Then just layer>add alpha channel and delete.

Ot if it is a multi colour background I would use the path tool to trace the outline of it then selection from path invert selectino layer>add alpha channel and delete.

And there is also the quick mask The little square beside the blue bar is the quick mask toggle.

http://www.gimp.org/tutorials/Quickmask/

If your background is a uniform colour you can try my transbg script:

http://silent9.com/incoming/sc ... ransbg.scm

It shows up under Layers->Transparency.

-Rob A>

For uniform backgrounds:

- magic wand on background
- "grow" the selection by one or two pixels so that it bleeds a bit inside the subject
- Color-to-alpha using the background color

The selection growth is essential: without it, the border pixels of the subject aren't selected, and that's where color-to-alpha does its magic. To obtain smooth borders (ie, anti-aliasing), the border pixels in the original image have a color intermediate between subject and background, and color-to-alpha converts these intermediate colors into the right levels of partial transparency.

where is Alex to explain how to use layer masks to eliminate backgrounds!!!!!

There are some very important things to consider.
1 - Open the image and add an alpha channel if it does not have one. Layer > Transparency > Add alpha channel
2 - Open the Selection Editor. Select > Selection Editor. In the editor you will see as black the non selected areas and as white selected areas. You can use the selection tools over the image or directly over the editor.
3 - Very important. You should know how to use the selection tools using the "Shift" and "Ctrl" keys. Holding down the Shift key you "add" selections. With Ctrl you "subtract" selections. You can "add" selections at any time using different selection tools even with different configurations. For example, use "Fuzzy Select Tool" with low Threshold for an area of ​​the image, and for other area use high Threshold holdong down Shift key.
4 -Then you go adding the selections you want using selection tools while you see the result in the selection editor. Remember that you can apply the selection tools on the image or over the editor. If you choose wrong areas, you can immediately revert the selection with Edit - Undo, or subtract the wrong selection by holding the Ctrl key.
5 - When you have finished selecting the background then you can now delete the selection area.
6 - Perhaps the task is easier using layer masks that have commented here, but I have no idea how to use masks.

'grow'...is that zoom?
I had tried this a few times then realised I had the option with the magic wand tool so checked the feathered edges box and it worked pretty well


I had tried this before but I did not understand the delete part after inverting selection?

Thanks guys for all your help...will keep practising

Grow is under select. If you grow 1 pixel after you have your fuzzy selection it will catch the remalning background pixels so you won't have the white edge around your pic after you delete.

Ahh thanks

Don't forget to feather by 5 or so to get rid of the hard edge.

Brilliant, thanks

No, it's "Select/Grow". Feathering also grows the selection, but you should really use "Grow" otherwise the right pixels won't be fully selected.

And don't get too frustrated...getting rid of a busy background can be a time-consuming and tedious job to do well, no matter which method, or combination of methods, you use.

I think others have already mentioned how to do this in 2.6.11. However, if you use the RGGJAN-fork of Gimp 2.7.3 from my website, you will see that it's designed for this sort of thing. Search through the archives here to see a whole lot of discussion on this fork of Gimp. Moreover, it comes in portable version so that it does not interfere with your regular Gimp. Versions for both Windows 7 64-bit and 32-bit are available.

Very interesting partha!
Do you know if RGGJAN algorithm will be included in the official version of Gimp 2.8?

For solid Black background, you can try the technique that I outlined here. For solid white (not as affective and require some more work) you can use lighten instead of darken per the outline. Also, the top layer has to have an alpha channel assigned or the result will be terrible (just a hint).

Sorry, not it's not going to be included in 2.8.

I actually use the new foreground fork version of Gimp-2.7 and Gimp-2.6.12 stable.
That is one awesome tool for background removal.
Mostly though i use GrowCut which isn't free.Here attached is the free version of the plugin.It is Adobe 8bf so you will need to have PSPI installed or use it in XnView.Just put the 8bf in the 8bf folder of XnView.
If you use PSPI you will need to create a path to the plugin via Filters>Photoshop plugin settings.
Then you will need to restart Gimp.
It is much easier to use it in XnView with Robs Shellout script (you need python for that to work)

But you can just open the image in XnView and call the plugin from within it.Remove the background and save the image.

This sounds great but I am only on 2.6.11...no download for windows 2.6.12