Cleaning Up Images

After removing a background from an image, you may notice that the edges are not perfectly clean. Small pieces of the old background may still remain, or parts of the subject might look rough or uneven.

This is completely normal. Most automatic background removal tools do a good job, but they often require a little manual cleanup to make the image look more polished.

Photopea provides several simple tools that can help you fix these small issues.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to use:

• the Eraser Tool
• the Lasso Tool
• the Brush Tool

These tools are useful for refining images after background removal or making small corrections.

Image cleanup is commonly needed when:

• removing backgrounds from photos
• creating transparent graphics
• isolating a product from its background
• fixing uneven edges
• removing small leftover areas of the old background

Taking a few minutes to clean up the edges can make the final image look much more professional.

The Eraser Tool is one of the simplest ways to remove unwanted parts of an image.

It works much like an eraser in a drawing program.

How to Use the Eraser Tool #

1. Select the Eraser Tool from the toolbar on the left side of Photopea.
2. Adjust the brush size if needed.
3. Carefully erase the parts of the image you want to remove.

This tool is especially helpful for:

• removing leftover background pieces
• cleaning small edge areas
• trimming unwanted details

When working near important parts of the image, it’s best to use a smaller brush size for better control.

The Lasso Tool allows you to draw a selection around an area of the image.

Once the area is selected, you can remove it or edit it separately.

How to Use the Lasso Tool #

1. Select the Lasso Tool from the toolbar.
2. Click and drag around the area you want to select.
3. Once the selection is complete, press Delete on your keyboard to remove it.

The Lasso Tool is useful for:

• removing larger unwanted areas
• cutting out sections of background
• making quick corrections

Because it creates a defined selection, it can be faster than using the eraser in some situations.

The Brush Tool allows you to paint directly onto an image.

While it is often used for painting or editing colors, it can also be helpful when fixing small areas around the edges of an image.

How to Use the Brush Tool #

1. Select the Brush Tool from the toolbar.
2. Choose a color from the color picker.
3. Paint gently over areas that need correction.

This can be useful when:

• blending small edge areas
• covering tiny leftover background spots
• restoring parts of the subject that were accidentally removed

Using a small, soft brush usually produces the best results.

A Helpful Beginner Tip #

When cleaning up image edges, it helps to zoom in on the image.

Zooming in allows you to see small details more clearly and gives you better control over the tools.

Once you finish editing, zoom back out to check how the image looks at normal size.

Sometimes small imperfections that look noticeable when zoomed in are barely visible when viewed at normal scale.

Clean edges are what make background removal look professional.

When working around detailed areas such as:

• hair
• fur
• small objects
• intricate shapes

it may take a few extra passes with the eraser or lasso tools to get the best result.

Working slowly and using smaller tools usually produces better results than trying to remove everything in one pass.

Automatic background removal tools are helpful, but they are rarely perfect on the first attempt.

Using simple tools like the Eraser, Lasso, and Brush in Photopea allows you to refine the edges and remove leftover background areas.

With a few small adjustments, you can turn a rough cutout into a clean image that works perfectly in your designs.