Question 1

Is the result really full resolution?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The model works on a scaled copy to find the subject, but the cut-out is applied to every pixel of your original, so a 12-megapixel photo comes back at 12 megapixels. Only a photo above 24 megapixels is scaled down, and the page says so when it happens.

Question 2

Why is some of the background still there, or some of the subject missing?

Accepted Answer

The model has to decide where the subject ends, and busy backgrounds, subjects that match their background, and thin detail like stray hair or bicycle spokes are where it hesitates. Paint over the mistakes with Erase and Restore; a photo with no single clear subject - a close-up of a pattern, say - will not work well at all.

Question 3

Is my photo uploaded to remove the background?

Accepted Answer

No. The photo is decoded and processed on your own machine, and the only download is the model itself, from huggingface.co, the first time. That makes it usable for photos you would not hand to a website - of your children, your ID, or a product that is not announced yet.

Question 4

Can I use the result commercially?

Accepted Answer

The model is released under the Apache 2.0 licence, and the cut-out is your own photo with pixels removed, so nothing about this tool puts a restriction on how you use it.

Free background remover