Removing Backgrounds from Bitmap Images in CorelDraw

by Steven R. Ivie - August 2004

When I first started in screenprinting, one of the hardest things for me to do (yet one of the most common and

necessary) was to extract a photo image, delete the background, and put it, with text, into Coreldraw

for output to screens. There are many techniques for this, but the technique

described here is using the packaged bitmap editing software (Photopaint), with CorelDraw for printing.

The image I'm using here started out low in resolution for this type of work (125dpi), but it was convenient

to use. I recommend using at least 200dpi, or higher when working with bitmaps.

Start with a new graphic in Coreldraw.

Import the bitmap image (File - Import) and make any minor size and centering changes. Next, right-click

on the image and at the top of the drop-down menu select "Edit Bitmap".

If nothing happens, or it says "there is no application associated with this command", stop right here for a second.

[What you need to do, is click on the red "C" at the top left of the screen and open PhotoPaint. Once open, go to

TOOLS-OPTIONS-GLOBAL-ASSOCIATION

and make sure the box next to CPT (corel photopaint) is selected. Once done, close and exit Photopaint and start again]

Once you click 'Edit Bitmap', Photopaint automatically opens and displays your picture. From here, make sure the 'OBJECTS'

window is open (Control+F7). You will see just 'Background' in the objects window. Drag the Background

object into the 'New Object' button (2nd from right on the bottom of the Object window).

This created a new object from your background and gave you this screen. Now, select the background object again

and drag it to the trashcan (furthest right button on bottom of Object window.

That leaves you with just the New Object. This is a good opportunity to do

some basic editing to the photo itself (Image-Effects-Sharpen-Unsharp Mask, Image-Adjust-Tone curve, etc.)

To help with erasing, we'll create a new 'white' background, by first

making sure the Paper Color (under the object window on the status bar) is selected to white. Then go to the top of the

Photopaint menus and select 'Image-Create Background'.

Your screen should now look like this. While you're here, select the MagicWand tool (2nd tool down, 6th to the right).

Set the masking tolerance to 10, for now (upper right on Property bar). Directly to the left of this tolerance setting are two buttons.

The first one is 'Normal Color Tolerance Mode' and the second is 'HSB Color Tolerance Mode'. Use Normal for now.

Using the Magic Wand, select an area of the background.

Click the little (+) button on the Masking property bar (same area as the tolerance setting) and continue clicking in the

background until all of the background is selected. If parts of the object you want to keep are being selected, your tolerance

setting (10) may be too high and may need to be lower. Also, you can click on the (-) button to remove masks.

Experiment with masking tools and settings until all the background, and none of the item, is selected.

This is how your screen should look now. Turn off the eye on the background Object so the background will be

transparent and hit the "Delete' button on your computer.

Here is the deleted background, now transparent. Remove the mask by going to 'Mask-Remove' in the Menu bar,

or by clicking the Control+Shift+R buttons.

Turn the white background eye back on, and with Object 2 selected, use the Eraser Tool and the Clone Tool, and

clean up the edges and areas around the image until all the old background parts are erased. You can turn the white

background eye off and on to see what you need to erase. When you get it the way you want it to look, delete the

white background Object (drag to the trash), again leaving only the Object 2 in the Object Window.

Now, here's the easiest part. No 'Save As' or 'Export/Import' file commands. Simply go to 'File - Save' and

Photopaint will automatically put your object back into CorelDraw where it started, without the background.

Here's the file, back in CorelDraw, without the background. From here, you would add all your Vector elements

(like text) and prepare the file for printing.

I added some quick, basic text with shadows to show the results.

Here, I zoomed in 400% just to show how clear the graphic came out. Keep in mind I started with a lower rez

picture, and did a quick job on the masking.

Most artists doing this type of work would recommend using Photoshop for the bitmap editing, and

CorelDraw or Illustrator for the vector, but this is a quick, easy method, just using CorelDraw and its

associated PhotoPaint program.