How to Remove Backgrounds in Affinity Photo and Designer: 5 Methods Compared

A practical reference for every image type and every version

The fastest method depends on your image and Affinity version.
For a solid white background in Designer, use the Erase White Paper filter.
For complex edges (hair, fur) in Photo V3+, use the Object Selection Tool with the free ML model.
For manual control, the Selection Brush Tool plus a layer mask works in any version.
Canva AI (subscription) offers one-click speed. For vector extraction, use the Pen Tool clipping mask.
This guide compares all five, handles common pitfalls, and clarifies which tools are free.

Which Method Should You Use? – Quick Comparison Table

Choosing the right background-removal approach depends on your image type, which Affinity version you own, and whether you need a non-destructive workflow. The table below maps each method to its best use case.

Important — free vs paid confusion: The Object Selection Tool (cloud icon with dots) is completely free; it only requires a one-time download of the Machine Learning models from Affinity Settings. The Canva AI Remove Background (cloud icon with a person) may require a Canva subscription or credits. These are two different tools — do not mistake one for the other.

Each method links to a detailed walkthrough below. For a thorough tutorial on the Selection Brush and layer mask workflow, see the Design Bundles guide. For the Object Selection Tool in V3, Dani Krossing's tutorial covers it step by step.

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Remove a Solid White Background Instantly with the Erase White Paper Filter

If your image has a clean white background — common with product shots, scanned logos, or text — the Erase White Paper filter in Affinity Designer removes it in one click. This method is destructive (it permanently alters the pixel layer), but it is fast and requires no selection skills.

1. Open your image in Affinity Designer (any version).
2. Go to Filters → Colours → Erase White Paper.
3. If your image contains vector layers, rasterise them first — the filter operates on pixels only.
4. The white areas become transparent. Export as PNG to preserve transparency.

Tip — non-white backgrounds: The Erase White Paper filter targets pure white. If your background is light grey or off-white, forum users suggest converting to grayscale, adjusting curves to push the background to pure white, then applying the filter. Results vary, but this approach can save time on simple images.

Before and after applying the Erase White Paper filter in Affinity Designer. The white background is removed instantly, leaving transparency.

This method directly answers the common question "How to remove white background in Affinity Designer?" and is the simplest route for solid-white images. For more control, use a layer mask approach — but for speed, Erase White Paper is hard to beat.

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Use the Selection Brush Tool for Manual Control (Best for Beginners)

The Selection Brush Tool (shortcut W) is the most straightforward manual method in Affinity Photo. It works in any version and gives you full control over what gets selected. Combined with a layer mask, it is non-destructive — you can refine the edge later without redoing the whole selection.

1. Unlock the background layer by clicking the padlock icon in the Layers panel.
2. Select the Selection Brush Tool from the toolbar (or press W).
3. Adjust the brush size using the [ and ] keys, then paint over the subject. The tool automatically detects edges as you paint.
4. If the background is selected instead, invert the selection: Select → Invert Pixel Selection or press Shift+Cmd/Ctrl+I.
5. Click the Refine button in the context toolbar to open the Refine Selection panel. Adjust edge smoothness, feather, and contrast as needed.
6. To reopen the Refine Mask panel later, right-click the mask thumbnail in the Layers panel and choose Refine Mask.
7. Click the Add Layer Mask icon at the bottom of the Layers panel to hide the background.

Non-destructive advantage: Because the background is hidden by a mask — not erased — you can paint on the mask with black or white to reveal or conceal parts of the image at any time. This is especially helpful for fine-tuning hair or fuzzy edges.

The Select menu showing the Invert Pixel Selection command (Shift+Cmd/Ctrl+I), a key step after painting with the Selection Brush.

For a full walkthrough with screenshots, see the Design Bundles tutorial and IAMRENSI's video guide.

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Remove Complex Edges and Hair with the Object Selection Tool (V3+)

Affinity Photo V3 introduced the Object Selection Tool, which uses machine learning to identify subjects with a single rough rectangle. It is especially effective on complex edges — hair, fur, translucent objects — that are tedious to paint manually. The ML models are free and download directly from within the app.

One-time setup: Go to Affinity Settings → Machine Learning and download the models. This is a free download and does not require any subscription. Once installed, the Object Selection Tool works offline.

1. Download and enable ML models in Affinity Settings if you have not already.
2. Select the Object Selection Tool from the toolbar (cloud icon with three dots).
3. Drag a rough rectangle around the subject — the AI generates a selection automatically.
4. Open the Refine Selection panel to adjust edges, especially around hair. Use the Decontaminate Colors option if a coloured halo appears.
5. For stubborn background remnants or wrinkles, use the Inpainting Brush Tool (see the next section) to clean up artifacts.
6. Apply a Layer Mask to hide the background non-destructively.

This combined workflow — Object Selection → Refine → Inpainting → Layer Mask — is one of the most efficient pipelines for complex images in Affinity. It is documented in detail by Dani Krossing's V3 tutorial and discussed by users on this Reddit thread.

!Yellow gerbera daisy isolated on a transparent background in Affinity Photo

A subject isolated using the Object Selection Tool. The ML model handles complex petal edges well, leaving a clean transparent background.

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How to Fix a Wrinkled or Imperfect Photography Background

A common frustration: you have a studio photo with a wrinkled backdrop that remains visible even after applying Gaussian blur. This problem surfaced in a Reddit discussion where users found that blur alone was not enough to hide creases. Here are three practical solutions.

1. Use the Inpainting Brush Tool

Select the Inpainting Brush Tool from the toolbar and set a brush size that covers the wrinkle. Paint over each crease — the tool samples surrounding pixels and fills the area intelligently. This works well for small to medium wrinkles.

2. Use the Clone Stamp Tool

For larger wrinkled areas, the Clone Stamp Tool gives you more control. Alt+Click (or Option+Click) on a clean section of the background, then stamp over the wrinkle. Adjust hardness and opacity to blend the fix seamlessly.

3. Remove and Replace the Background

If the wrinkles are too extensive to fix, remove the background entirely using the Object Selection or Selection Brush tool, then place a solid colour or gradient behind the subject. This is often faster and yields a cleaner result than trying to salvage a damaged backdrop.

!Affinity Photo interface showing a yellow leaf on a black background with toolbars visible

A dark-background image where wrinkles or imperfections can be addressed with the Inpainting Brush or Clone Stamp before finalising the composition.

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Remove Backgrounds in Affinity Designer: Vector Silhouettes, Logos, and Text

Affinity Designer lacks the pixel-level selection tools of Affinity Photo, but it offers several effective methods for background removal — especially for vector work, logos, and text.

Pen Tool Clipping Mask (Vector Extraction)

For a subject you want to extract as a vector path, use the Pen Tool (P):

1. Select the Pen Tool and draw a path around the subject.
2. With the path selected, hold Shift and click the image layer, then right-click and choose Add Clipping Mask.
3. The background is hidden behind the vector path. You can now scale or edit the path without loss of quality.

This method answers the question "Can I remove a background from a vector in Affinity?" — yes, and the result is a clean, resolution-independent silhouette.

Text on White Background

For a word or phrase on a solid white background, the Erase White Paper filter (described above) is the fastest solution. It works directly in Designer and preserves the text layer if you rasterise first.

Text on Complex Background

If the background is not white, switch to the Pixel Persona in Designer and use the Selection Brush Tool to select the text manually. Alternatively, use a channel-based selection — duplicate the Blue channel (or the channel with the highest contrast) and adjust levels to isolate the text.

Cross-Tool Workflow: Photo → Designer

If you own both Affinity Photo and Designer, use Photo's advanced selection tools (Object Selection or Selection Brush) to create a mask, then Copy → Paste as embedded document into Designer. You get Photo-grade selections inside a Designer project — the best of both applications.

!New Document dialog in Affinity showing the Transparent background checkbox option

Setting up a new document with a transparent background is essential for vector exports. Check the Transparent background option in the New Document dialog.

For a detailed tutorial on the Pen Tool clipping mask method, see the Design Bundles guide.

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Free vs Paid – Which Background Removal Tools Actually Cost Money?

There is persistent confusion in the Affinity community about which background removal tools are free and which require payment. The Reddit thread on this topic shows users arguing over the same icon. Here is the definitive breakdown.

The short answer: Object Selection (the cloud icon with dots) is free. The Canva AI tool (cloud icon with a person) may require payment. If you see a cloud icon and are unsure, check the tooltip — it will say "Object Selection" or "Remove Background." This distinction is documented in the Affinity Help Center.

Answering the PAA: "How do I remove the background in Affinity by Canva?" — The Canva AI removal tool is available in Affinity Photo V2+ and offers a one-click experience, but it may consume credits if you have a Canva subscription. For a free alternative, use Object Selection (V3+) or the Selection Brush.

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Troubleshoot Common Issues – V2 Bugs, UI Confusion, and More

V2 Bug When Removing Background

Some users on the Affinity forum reported that Affinity Photo V2 would freeze or produce corrupted masks when using the Selection Brush. The recommended workaround: rasterise the layer first (right-click → Rasterise), then apply the Selection Brush. This stabilises the tool and prevents the bug.

UI Icon Confusion

The V3 update introduced new toolbar icons that some users find ambiguous. The Object Selection Tool is a cloud icon with three dots. The Selection Brush is a brush with a circle. If you are unsure which is which, hover over each icon — a tooltip will appear. Taking a moment to learn the icons saves repeated trial and error.

Halo Around Hair After Selection

If you see a coloured fringe (halo) around extracted hair or fur, reopen the Refine Selection panel and enable Decontaminate Colors. This replaces edge pixels with nearby clean colours, significantly reducing the halo effect. You may need to adjust the strength slider.

Known limitation: The Refine panel works best when the selection is already close to the edge. If the initial selection is too rough, the decontamination may struggle. Paint a more precise initial selection with the Selection Brush before refining.

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Export Your Image with a Transparent Background

Once the background is removed, the final step is exporting the image so the transparency is preserved. This is where many users accidentally end up with a white background again — here is how to avoid that.

1. Ensure the subject is on a layer with a mask (not a deleted background). A mask is non-destructive and preserves transparency.
2. Go to File → Export.
3. Choose the PNG format — JPEG does not support transparency.
4. In the export options, ensure the Transparent background checkbox is checked. (This option appears in the PNG export dialog.)
5. Click Export and choose your destination.

Shortcut reminder: If you need to quickly check which parts of the image are transparent, toggle the background layer visibility or add a temporary solid colour layer behind the subject. This helps spot any remaining background fragments before export.

!Export menu in Affinity Photo with the Transparent background option highlighted

When exporting as PNG, make sure the Transparent background checkbox is selected to preserve the transparency you created.

That is it — your subject is now isolated on a transparent background, ready for web use, compositing, or further editing. For more on PNG export workflows, the Design Bundles guide covers the export step in detail.