Remove an image background on Mac, offline
Short answer. Paperlane for Mac removes a photo's background with Apple's on-device Vision subject mask, then saves the subject on a transparent PNG or HEIC, optionally cropped to the subject. It runs offline and nothing is uploaded. Drop one photo or a folder of product shots and the same setting runs on each.
Three ways to do it
In the app
Open Remove Background, drop images, choose PNG or HEIC, and run.
From Finder
Select images in Finder, right-click, and choose Remove Background with Paperlane.
With Shortcuts
Use the Run Paperlane Tool action with Remove Background to cut out product photos as they arrive.
Steps
- Open Remove Background and drop in your photos.
- Choose PNG or HEIC as the output format.
- Turn on crop to subject if you want tight edges.
- Run the job and check each cut-out at full size.
At a glance
- Engine
- Apple Vision foreground instance mask
- Output
- PNG or HEIC with transparency
- Crop
- Optional crop to the subject
- Original file
- Never modified
Honest limitations
- Fine hair, fur, glass and semi-transparent edges can come out imperfect.
- The web version uses a different method, so results differ from the Mac app.
Need just one file?
Do one file free in your browser: Remove Solid-Colour Background
Questions
Does it work offline?
Yes. The model is part of macOS and runs on your Mac.
Can it remove backgrounds from many photos?
Yes. Drop a folder and every image is processed with the same setting.
What if the edge is rough?
Try a photo with clearer separation between subject and background. The app does not hand-edit edges.