How to Use Background Removal in Workbench

Use this guide to understand how Background Removal works in Workbench, what to expect during processing, and how to avoid the most common issues.

What this feature does: Background Removal sends the processed image from Workbench to the cloud service, removes the background, and returns a result you can compare and save.

Instructions

Before you start

• Background Removal works on one image at a time.
• Supported input formats are PNG and JPEG.
• The feature requires a valid Cloud Tools API key.
• The image sent to the server is the processed Workbench photo, including applied corrections, LOOKs, and crop settings.

Note: If you do not have a valid API key, Workbench opens the About window and highlights the API key field.

Step 1: Activate your API key

1. Open the About window in Workbench.
2. Enter your WebAPI key.
3. Click Activate Key.
4. Wait for validation.

After a successful validation, the About window closes automatically.

If needed, use this help article to get a key.

Step 2: Start Background Removal

Note: The feature has file limits. Images over 30 MB or wider than 5,000 pixels may be rejected or resized before upload.

1. Select an image in Workbench.
2. Click the Cloud icon next to the LOOKs controls.
3. If your key is valid, the Background Removal window opens.
4. If your key is not valid, Workbench opens the About window instead.

Step 3: Wait for processing

During processing, you may see these statuses:

• Uploading image…
• Removing background…
• Downloading image…

Workbench uploads the edited image, not the original source file.

Step 4: Review the result

When processing is complete, you can:

• Compare the original and background-removed versions with a side-by-side slider.
• Save the result image.
• Close the result without saving.

Note: The background-removed image exists only inside the Background Removal window until you save it.

Step 5: Save your image

• Click Save to keep the result.
• The saved filename uses this format: [original filename]_bgremoved.png
• The output format is PNG.

Note: If you close the Background Removal window before saving, the processed image is discarded.

FAQ

Why does Workbench open the About window instead of Background Removal?

This happens when your Cloud Tools API key is missing, invalid, or inactive. Enter a valid key in the About window and activate it before trying again.

What kind of image does Workbench send for background removal?

Workbench sends the processed image, including applied corrections, LOOKs, and crop settings. It does not send the untouched original file.

Which file types are supported?

Background Removal supports PNG and JPEG images.

Why was my image rejected?

The feature has file limits. Images over 30 MB or wider than 5,000 pixels may be rejected or resized before upload. For very large images, Workbench may resize them before sending them to the server.

Can I process several images at once?

No. Background Removal works on one image at a time.

What happens if I close the window during processing?

Closing the window stops upload or processing. Workbench shows a confirmation message before closing.

Troubleshooting