Auto Background Remover Workarounds for Affinity Photo 2.3
TLDRIn this video, the creator discusses the lack of an auto background removal feature in Affinity Photo 2 and shares workarounds using third-party tools to speed up the process. They demonstrate using Photopea, Adobe Express, and Microsoft Designer to automatically remove the background from an image and then compare the results. The video concludes with a preference for Photopea for its reliability in producing satisfactory results for most images, allowing the creator to bypass the tedious manual selection process. Additionally, the creator invites viewers to check out their second channel, which focuses on short, informative tutorials on various software and tools beyond just Affinity Photo.
Takeaways
- 🎨 The speaker was initially unimpressed with Photoshop's auto selection tools but has come to appreciate them as they have improved over time, especially due to their time-saving benefits.
- 🚀 Affinity Photo 2 lacks an auto selection tool for background removal, which the speaker finds disappointing as it's a feature they consider essential in modern software.
- 🌐 Photopea is the speaker's first choice for removing backgrounds automatically. It's a web-based, free alternative to Photoshop that allows users to upload and process images directly in their browser.
- 🖌️ Adobe Express is another tool the speaker has experimented with for background removal. It's a web-based tool aimed at casual users and offers quick actions for tasks like removing backgrounds.
- 📈 Microsoft Designer is a new discovery for the speaker. It's a design software by Microsoft that is currently in preview mode and offers a background removal feature that has given the speaker satisfactory results.
- 📷 The speaker demonstrates the use of these three tools on an image with a challenging hair background, noting the varying levels of success each tool had in removing the background.
- ✅ Photopea managed to keep the subject's finger intact and provided a semi-transparent selection of the hair, which the speaker found most satisfactory.
- 🚫 Adobe Express performed well but missed part of the subject's finger, which is a significant oversight.
- 🔍 Microsoft Designer was cautious in its removal efforts, leaving some of the background intact and similar in color to the subject, which made for a less clean result.
- 📚 The speaker uses these third-party apps to streamline their workflow, especially when creating materials like flyers or YouTube thumbnails where precision isn't as critical.
- 📺 The video is not sponsored, and the speaker is simply sharing tools they've found useful as a busy individual looking for shortcuts in their work process.
- 🔗 The speaker invites viewers to check out their second channel, which focuses on short, informative videos about various software and tools, not just those related to Affinity Photo.
Q & A
What was the speaker's initial impression of auto selection tools when they were first introduced in Photoshop?
-The speaker was not impressed with the auto selection tools when they were first introduced, believing that the human touch was necessary for precise selection.
Why has the speaker's opinion on auto selection tools changed over time?
-The speaker's opinion has changed because the auto selection tools have improved significantly over time, and with increasing age and busyness, they now appreciate the time-saving benefits of these tools.
What is the speaker's current approach to removing the backdrop in Affinity Photo 2?
-The speaker uses third-party tools to speed up the process of selecting and removing backdrops in Affinity Photo 2, as the software does not have built-in auto selection tools.
Which three web-based tools does the speaker use to remove the backdrop from images?
-The speaker uses Photopea, Adobe Express, and Microsoft Designer to remove the backdrop from images.
What is the main advantage of using Photopea for removing the backdrop?
-Photopea is a web-based tool that does not require installation, and it allows users to drag and drop their images directly onto the website for backdrop removal.
How does Adobe Express handle the backdrop removal process?
-Adobe Express uses a feature called quick actions for backdrop removal, which involves uploading the image to Adobe servers for processing.
What is the speaker's opinion on the quality of the results from Microsoft Designer's backdrop removal feature?
-The speaker was surprised by the quality of the results from Microsoft Designer's backdrop removal feature, noting that it was a decent outcome despite the software being in preview mode.
What is the main challenge the speaker faced when removing the backdrop around the hair in the example image?
-The main challenge was the sharp edges and the color around the hair, which made it difficult for the auto selection tools to accurately distinguish between the hair and the backdrop.
Which tool provided the best result in the speaker's comparison?
-Photopea provided the best result in the speaker's comparison, as it managed to keep the finger intact and offered a semi-transparent separation of the hair.
What is the speaker's general workflow when removing backdrops from images?
-The speaker's general workflow is to first try Photopea, and if the results are not satisfactory, they will manually make a precise selection in Affinity Photo.
What is the purpose of the speaker's second YouTube channel?
-The second channel is dedicated to short and sweet tutorial videos about various programs and tools, not just graphic design software, but also including presentations, animations, and other AI tools.
How can viewers access the speaker's second YouTube channel?
-The speaker will provide a link to the second channel in the video description for those interested in accessing it.
Outlines
🖼️ Auto Selection Tools Evolution and Third-Party Apps
The speaker reflects on their initial skepticism towards Photoshop's auto selection and background removal tools during university, favoring the precision of manual selection. However, as time has passed, they acknowledge the improvement of these tools and their growing appreciation for the time-saving benefits, especially with increasing age and busyness. The speaker introduces the topic of using third-party tools to expedite the process of selecting and removing backdrops in Affinity Photo 2, which lacks auto selection tools. They plan to demonstrate the use of three different programs to automate the removal of backdrops and then compare the results within Affinity Photo.
🌐 Comparing Background Removal Tools: Photo, Adobe Express, and Microsoft Designer
The speaker shares their experience using three different online tools for background removal: Photo, Adobe Express, and Microsoft Designer. They first discuss Photo, a free alternative to Photoshop, which they find effective and non-distractive, allowing for easy mask adjustments. Adobe Express is next, with a quick action feature for background removal that, despite sending images to Adobe servers, provides a decent result, although with a missing finger detail. Lastly, Microsoft Designer, still in preview mode, offers a background removal feature that, while safe and less aggressive in erasing, leaves more of the background. The results from these tools are then imported into Affinity Photo for comparison. The speaker finds Photo's result to be the most satisfactory for their needs, suitable for creating flyers or YouTube thumbnails, and typically their first choice for background removal. They also mention their second channel, which focuses on short tutorial videos for various software and tools.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Auto Background Remover
💡Affinity Photo 2.3
💡Third Party Tools
💡Photo.com
💡Adobe Express
💡Microsoft Designer
💡Mask Based Layer
💡PNG with Transparent Backdrop
💡Workflow
💡Quality of Edges
💡Second Channel
Highlights
Photoshop's auto selection tools have improved significantly over time, becoming a valuable time-saver for busy professionals.
Affinity Photo 2 lacks an auto selection tool, which is a feature considered essential by many users.
The video demonstrates workarounds using third-party tools to remove backgrounds in Affinity Photo.
Photopea is a web-based alternative to Photoshop, offering a free and user-friendly interface for background removal.
Photopea allows users to upload images directly to their browser without sending them to external servers.
Adobe Express offers a quick action feature for background removal, which is currently free but may become a paid feature in the future.
Microsoft Designer is a new design tool in preview mode that also provides a background removal feature.
Microsoft Designer's background removal feature is surprisingly effective, despite being a newer entry in the design software market.
The presenter uses a green layer to highlight the edges of the removed background for quality assessment.
Microsoft Designer's result was less aggressive, leaving more of the background intact compared to Adobe Express.
Adobe Express provided a cleaner removal of the background, but at the cost of losing some details like the finger.
Photopea's result was the most satisfactory, maintaining detail and providing a semi-transparent separation of the subject.
The presenter prefers to use Photopea first due to its high success rate in producing acceptable results.
If auto selection tools are unsatisfactory, the presenter resorts to manual precision selection in Affinity Photo.
The video concludes that smaller companies like Photopea can sometimes outperform larger ones in specific features.
The presenter invites viewers to subscribe to a second channel focused on short, diverse tutorials on various software and tools.
The second channel includes content on graphic design programs, PowerPoint, Apple Keynote, Pages, animation, and AI tools.
The presenter aims to grow and potentially monetize the second channel in the future.