---
title: Remove and replace backgrounds
display: 'Remove and replace *backgrounds*'
nav_title: Backgrounds
summary:
  - "Remove Background cuts a character or product out to a transparent PNG in one click."
  - "To change only the background, use Edit with Prompts with GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst and describe the new place."
  - "To put a subject into a scene you already have, give the model both images as references."
description: Cut a subject out to a transparent PNG, swap its background with one prompt, or place it into a scene you already have.
section: images
order: 50
type: guide
level: Start
roles: [all]
time: { read: 4, do: 5, wait: 1 }
needs: ["An image with a clear subject", "Credits (any plan)"]
last_verified: 2026-11-11
models_checked: ["Photoroom Background Removal", "GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst"]
hero: images/remove-and-replace-backgrounds/queen-beach-gpt-image-2-6.webp
related: [edit-images, product-packshots, product-lifestyle-scenes, vectors-pixel-art-and-layers]
video: tutorials/remove-and-replace-backgrounds.mp4
video_caption: Remove and replace backgrounds
about: "This lesson does three things with one character, a small queen on castle steps: it cuts her out of her background to a transparent PNG with Remove Background, puts her on a sunny beach with Edit with Prompts and GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst, and places her in a market square you already have by giving the model both images. Each step makes a new image, so the original stays safe. The models and prices in this lesson are as of November 2026."
chapters:
  - { at: 0, title: "Remove", image: "/media/images/images/remove-and-replace-backgrounds/ch-01-remove.webp" }
  - { at: 29.7, title: "Replace", image: "/media/images/images/remove-and-replace-backgrounds/ch-02-replace.webp" }
  - { at: 61.9, title: "Your scene", image: "/media/images/images/remove-and-replace-backgrounds/ch-03-your-scene.webp" }
thumb: images/remove-and-replace-backgrounds/thumb.webp
steps:
  - title: "Open Remove Background"
    text: "Open the image, click the three dots in the bar above it and choose Remove Background. It is also under Edit in the viewer's right panel and in any thumbnail's three-dot menu."
  - title: "Remove the background"
    text: "In the Remove Background panel, keep Transparent and click Remove Background. The other option fills the background with a solid color."
  - title: "Check the cutout and download it"
    text: "Check the crown, the fur and the scepter stay sharp; the Info panel names Photoroom Background Removal. Download it as a PNG, since a JPEG has no transparency."
  - title: "Change only the background with a prompt"
    text: "Open the original, not the cutout, then three dots › Edit with Prompts and pick GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst (type \"2.6\" in the model search). Say what stays first, then the new place, and click Generate."
    prompt: |-
      Keep the queen exactly as she is. Replace the background with a sunny tropical beach: white sand, turquoise water, a few palm trees, bright midday light.
  - title: "Check the new background"
    text: "Same queen, new place, with light and shadow that match the beach. To try other places, change only the second sentence and keep the keep line."
  - title: "Put the subject into a scene you already have"
    text: "In Edit with Prompts, clear the reference with the trash icon, then Select from Library: the cutout first, then the market square, and Confirm. Say where she stands and what must not change, and click Generate."
    prompt: |-
      Place the queen into the market square, standing on the cobblestones in the middle. Keep the queen and the square exactly as they are, and match her light and shadow to the scene.
  - title: "Check the composite"
    text: "She is lit by the same sun, has a shadow under her feet, fits the scene in size, and the square, fountain and stalls are unchanged."
agent_steps:
  - title: "Connect the Scenario MCP"
    text: "Connect your agent and sign in once at [mcp.scenario.com](https://mcp.scenario.com). Then tell it which Scenario team and project to use, so every file lands there."
  - title: "Give the agent the files"
    text: "The original image of the queen on the castle steps and, for the composite, the empty market square. Upload them with upload_asset or give their asset IDs."
  - title: "Brief the agent: the cutout"
    prompt: |-
      Remove the background of the queen image with Photoroom Background Removal (model_photoroom-background-removal), transparent, as a PNG. Read model_schema_get first. Quote the cost with a dry run first and wait for my go. Then show me the cutout and download it as a PNG with asset_download.
  - title: "Brief the agent: new backgrounds"
    text: "The cutout goes first in the composite, so nothing of the castle comes along."
    prompt: |-
      Use GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst (model_openai-gpt-image-2-6-sunburst) and read its parameters with model_schema_get. Quote the cost with a dry run first and wait for my go.

      Run 1: referenceImages is an array holding only the original queen image (not the cutout). Prompt, word for word:
      Keep the queen exactly as she is. Replace the background with a sunny tropical beach: white sand, turquoise water, a few palm trees, bright midday light.

      Run 2: referenceImages is an array with the cutout first and the market square second. Prompt, word for word:
      Place the queen into the market square, standing on the cobblestones in the middle. Keep the queen and the square exactly as they are, and match her light and shadow to the scene.
  - title: "Check and redo"
    text: "Accept a cutout with clean edges, the fur and scepter kept, and no old background in gaps. Accept a composite where she is the same character, the light comes from the same side as the scene, she has a shadow, her size fits and the square didn't change. Reject a halo, a pasted-on look or a redrawn scene."
    prompt: |-
      Check the cutout's edges for a halo or holes; if it fails, run Birefnet Background Removal (model_birefnet-background-removal) instead. For the composite, tell me if the light direction, her shadow or her size is off, or if the square changed, and redo it once with where the light comes from and how big she should be.
  - title: "File the results and report"
    prompt: |-
      Create a collection called "Queen backgrounds" with the original, the cutout, the beach and the market square composite. Report each asset ID with its model and the total cost spent.
updated: 2026-11-11
canonical: https://learn.scenario.com/images/remove-and-replace-backgrounds
---

Last updated: 2026-11-11

# Remove and replace backgrounds

> Cut a subject out to a transparent PNG, swap its background with one prompt, or place it into a scene you already have.

In short:

- Remove Background cuts a character or product out to a transparent PNG in one click.
- To change only the background, use Edit with Prompts with GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst and describe the new place.
- To put a subject into a scene you already have, give the model both images as references.


This lesson does three things with one character, a small queen on castle steps: it cuts her out of her background to a transparent PNG with **Remove Background**, puts her on a sunny beach with **Edit with Prompts** and GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst, and places her in a market square you already have by giving the model both images. Each step makes a new image, so the original stays safe.

:::note As of November 2026
The models, settings and prices in this article are the ones Scenario offered in November 2026. New models and updates arrive often, so check the model library for newer options before you choose.
:::

:::steps Quick version
1. Open the image, click the three dots and choose **Remove Background**. Keep **Transparent** and click **Remove Background**.
2. Download the cutout as a PNG to keep the transparent background.
3. To change only the background, open the original, choose **Edit with Prompts**, pick **GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst** and say what stays and where the subject goes.
4. To use your own background, give the model two references, the cutout first and then the scene, ask it to place the subject and match the light, and click **Generate**.
:::

## Before you start

- **You need an image with a clear subject.** A character or a product that stands out from what is behind it gives the cleanest cutout. High-resolution images (1K or 2K) work best.
- **Know which of the three you need:**

| You want | Use | You get |
|---|---|---|
| The subject alone, to use anywhere | **Remove Background** | A transparent PNG |
| The same subject in a new place you describe | **Edit with Prompts** with one reference | A new image, same subject |
| The same subject in a scene you already have | **Edit with Prompts** with two references | The two images combined, with matching light |

- **Every result is a new asset.** The original stays in your library.

![The original image: a small queen with a crown, scepter and ermine cloak on castle steps](https://ufgc0c9mhl4ueq76.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/academy/027afa5846ab4f00b2c0b846a6cc1f102f76d9f1f0eaa6aa71fdcd6d2639c50c.webp)

## Step 1: Open Remove Background

Open your image. To cut out the character, click the three dots in the bar above it and choose **Remove Background**.

![The three-dot menu above the image, with Remove Background under the pointer](https://ufgc0c9mhl4ueq76.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/academy/ca4128181c7a644ca386b1dbe4508f814e06c276439400a5ff7f6cde454000d7.webp)

You can also find **Remove Background** under **Edit** in the panel on the right of the viewer, in the three-dot menu of any thumbnail, and under **Images** in the main menu, where you upload an image or pick one from your library.

## Step 2: Remove the background

The **Remove Background** panel opens on the right. Keep it on **Transparent** and click **Remove Background**. The price of the run shows on the button.

![The Remove Background panel with Transparent picked, next to the original image](https://ufgc0c9mhl4ueq76.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/academy/ae9012110046a81c3d666441e2b5720d782882478d76c44ef2ecfe54f66ae651.webp)

**Transparent** removes the background completely and leaves an alpha channel. The other option fills the background with a solid color instead, for a plain backdrop that matches a design.

## Step 3: Check the cutout and download it

The castle is gone. Her crown, the fur on her cloak and the scepter all stay sharp. The viewer shows the transparent area as black; the **Info** panel shows the model that made it, **Photoroom Background Removal**.

![The cutout in the viewer: the queen alone, with no castle behind her](https://ufgc0c9mhl4ueq76.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/academy/0eb3e488005bfde9f5e850780ee241f574e8dea6c77e07e73bad2ec8d34704a1.webp)

It's a new image, so your original is safe. To keep the transparent background, download it as a PNG with the download icon in the bar above the image. A JPEG has no transparency and would fill it.

![The cutout on a checkerboard, which shows the transparent area](https://ufgc0c9mhl4ueq76.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/academy/8eee0e59f4eb977ee147325d5022cc64cfec253c59b9079e854846f5ac01ade6.webp)

:::check
**Accept when:** the edges are clean all round, fine details (hair, fur, thin props like the scepter) are kept, and nothing of the old background is left in gaps, such as between an arm and the body.
**Reject when:** part of the subject is cut away, a halo of the old background lines the edges, or holes appear. Try a background-removal model from the table below, or clean the edge by hand in Retouch.
:::

## Step 4: Change only the background with a prompt

To change only her background, open the original, not the cutout, and choose **Edit with Prompts** from the three-dot menu. The image loads under **Reference Images**.

Pick **GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst**: it keeps the character and redraws everything around her. To find it fast, click the model name and type in the search box; here "2.6" lists **GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst** and **GPT Image 2.6 Flare**.

![The model search under the model name, with GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst highlighted in the results](https://ufgc0c9mhl4ueq76.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/academy/f31f864c8d465e4dfd82e70a1483518fd93b6ae63a77ddf6ca8110fda3e9960b.webp)

Say what stays and where she goes, in two sentences: first what to keep, then the new place, with a few details and the light.

```text
Keep the queen exactly as she is. Replace the background with a sunny tropical beach: white sand, turquoise water, a few palm trees, bright midday light.
```

![The beach prompt in the Prompt box, with GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst picked and the original under Reference Images](https://ufgc0c9mhl4ueq76.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/academy/7f13782883f6b0d993c871362b687081d6b4b9c88838eb0d13452fc2070fe03a.webp)

Click **Generate**.

## Step 5: Check the new background

Same queen, new place, and the light and the shadow match the beach. Her crown, cloak and scepter are the ones from the original.

![The beach result in the viewer, with GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst and the prompt in the Info panel](https://ufgc0c9mhl4ueq76.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/academy/ef5cf3d4638650906deaee86e5d67599ed6db5c60e9ddb1aa2960e361c0af8b8.webp)

To try other places, change only the second sentence of the prompt and generate again. The first sentence, the keep line, stays the same every time, so the character stays the same too.

## Step 6: Put the subject into a scene you already have

Already have the background? Give the model both images: the cutout first, then your scene.

1. In **Edit with Prompts**, clear the current reference with the trash icon next to **Reference Images**.
2. Under **Drag & drop or paste**, click the folder icon to pick images from your library, choose the cutout and your scene, and click **Confirm**. You can also drag them in from the gallery or upload them. Put the cutout first, then the scene.

![The market square used as the scene: a fountain, stalls and a castle, with no one in the middle](https://ufgc0c9mhl4ueq76.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/academy/bd4d8da7c9cae158d80b8d2ed8ded392058fe2a0edc57847286f2fc870619220.webp)

3. Ask the model to place her in the scene and match the light. Say where she stands and what must not change:

```text
Place the queen into the market square, standing on the cobblestones in the middle. Keep the queen and the square exactly as they are, and match her light and shadow to the scene.
```

![The scene prompt with the cutout and the market square under Reference Images](https://ufgc0c9mhl4ueq76.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/academy/e8f943fe6baabb350100682d1ceb468da2aede2cdcbe8365b802b9d615d1c72c.webp)

4. Click **Generate**.

Each reference also shows as a chip under the prompt. Using the cutout rather than the original gives the model only the subject to place, so nothing of the castle comes along with her.

## Step 7: Check the composite

She's in your square, lit by the same sun, with a shadow under her feet. The square, the fountain and the stalls are the ones in your image.

![The composite in the viewer: the queen standing in the market square, with both references in the Info panel](https://ufgc0c9mhl4ueq76.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/academy/9e858a8154be7aa86b002181f681b5d4f75fdd9e803dd8f74a868452a7f3422f.webp)

:::check
**Accept when:** the subject is the same character, the light comes from the same side on her as on the scene, she has a shadow on the ground, her size fits the scene, and the scene itself didn't change.
**Reject when:** she looks pasted on (no shadow, a different light direction, a hard outline), she is too big or too small for the scene, or the model redrew the scene. Say where the light comes from and how big she should be, and generate again.
:::

## Background-removal models

**Remove Background** is the quick way. The model library also has background-removal models you can run on their own or in a workflow. Under **Capabilities**, tick **Remove Background** to see them.

| Model | Best for | Settings |
|---|---|---|
| Photoroom Background Removal | Products and packshots | Background Color, Shadow Mode (Soft, Hard, Floating), HD Background Removal for images at 2K or larger, Keep Existing Transparency |
| 851 Labs Background Remover | Control over the edges and what goes behind | Threshold (soft to hard edges), Reverse (keep the background instead), Background Type (transparent, white, green screen, blur, overlay, mask) |
| FeyNobg | A clean transparent cutout with nothing to set | Seed only |
| Birefnet Background Removal | Fur and thin details, nothing to set | None |
| Pixelcut Background Removal | Fast cutouts, or the mask on its own | Output Format: RGBA or Alpha |
| Bria Remove Background | Portraits and fine hair | Preserve Alpha (transparent or opaque) |
| Ideogram Remove Background | Hair, fur and glass, nothing to set | None; images up to 10 MB |

Background removal is automatic: you can't pick areas to keep or remove. To fix an edge by hand, open the cutout in **Retouch** and use the erase brush. To remove backgrounds from many images at once, select them in your library and choose **Remove Background** from the three-dot menu.

## Common problems

| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| The download has a white or black background | Download as PNG; JPEG has no transparency |
| Part of the subject is missing, or the old background shows in gaps | Try another background-removal model from the table, or erase what's left in Retouch |
| The edges look rough on hair or fur | Use a model made for fine detail, such as Birefnet or Ideogram Remove Background, on a higher-resolution source |
| Edit with Prompts changed the character | Start the prompt with the keep line ("Keep the queen exactly as she is"), and use a model that keeps the subject, such as GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst |
| The subject looks pasted into your scene | Use the cutout as the first reference, and ask for her light and shadow to match the scene |
| The model redrew your background scene | Say "keep the square exactly as it is" in the prompt |

## What's next

When the image is approved, [upscale it](https://learn.scenario.com/images/upscale-and-enhance-images.md) as the last step. To change other parts of an image without starting over, see [Edit images](https://learn.scenario.com/images/edit-images.md).

Source: https://learn.scenario.com/images/remove-and-replace-backgrounds