Remove the background from food photos

Why cut out food photos

Delivery apps, online menus and price boards show dozens of dishes in a grid. When every dish was shot on a different table under different light, the grid looks messy. On one shared background, the food is the only thing that changes.

A cut-out also lets you reuse one good photo many times: on a white menu, on your restaurant’s colour, on a seasonal poster.

Food has its own tricky edges: a drizzle of syrup running down the side, a sprig of herbs on top, the rim of a plate catching the light. The plate counts as part of the dish and is kept, while the table, cutlery and napkins are removed with the background.

It’s also an easy way to keep a menu current. When a dish changes, one new photo taken on the kitchen pass, cut out and dropped onto your usual background, matches the rest of the menu without reshooting the whole set.

How to cut out a dish

1. Upload the photo of the dish. Shots from a three-quarter angle and straight from above both work.
2. Check the plate’s rim and any garnish that sticks out, using the Original tab to compare.
3. Pick white for a menu or delivery app, or a colour that matches your brand.
4. Download the PNG and add it to your menu or listing.

Tips for food photos that cut out well

• Photograph one dish at a time. A table full of plates is hard to separate into a single subject.
• Choose a surface that contrasts with the plate. A white plate on a dark table cuts out more cleanly than a white plate on a white tablecloth.
• Shoot near a window. Daylight keeps the colours true and the edges sharp.
• Mostly see-through things, like steam or a glass of water, can come out partly removed. Check them before you publish.

Frequently asked questions