Remove a white background and keep enclosed details

How connected background removal works

A color can appear both in the background and in important details. Removing every pixel close to white would erase both. Trame instead removes only target-color pixels connected to the image edge. A white area fully enclosed by another color—such as an eye inside a dark outline—stays in the image even when its color matches the background.

This is a region-connectivity rule, not object recognition. A narrow break in an outline may connect an enclosed white feature to the image edge, so inspect the processed preview carefully. The processing raster is bounded in size; very fine gaps can be affected by that reduction.

Set the target color and tolerance

Import the image and open its processing settings in Properties. Turn on Remove connected background. The target defaults to white, and tolerance controls how far each RGB channel may differ from the target. A higher tolerance can remove off-white edge pixels, but it can also reach similarly colored areas that touch the edge. A lower tolerance is more selective and may leave a fringe around a compressed or anti-aliased image.

Change one setting at a time and compare Processed with Original. Begin near the default tolerance, then raise or lower it in small increments until the edge background is removed without swallowing nearby artwork. Trame preserves enclosed target-colored regions only while they remain disconnected from the edge in the processed image.

1. Select the image layer and enable Remove connected background.
2. Choose the background target color, usually #ffffff for white, and adjust tolerance gradually.
3. Inspect enclosed white details and the outline around the subject in Processed view; undo or lower tolerance if a gap connects a detail to the edge.
4. Review the regenerated stitch paths and confirm the removed background is no longer included.

Save the editable source and check the stitch preview

Save a .trame project to retain the source image and its processing settings, so you can revisit the target color or tolerance later. The original image itself is not destructively edited. When the processing choice changes, review any palette edits or exclusions again because recalculating colors may reset them.

Background removal prepares a raster for Trame’s stitch planner; it does not make a vector cutout or guarantee a clean physical edge. Small details can be lost at the bounded preview resolution, and the embroidery result depends on region size, stitch spacing, material, and machine setup. Inspect the generated needle paths and test sew the design before production.

• Open the Trame editor