Luminar NEO: How to use the Portrait Background Removal Tool

The Portrait Background Removal feature was introduced to Luminar NEO with the free update 1.1.0 (Learn more here). This highly-anticipated tool allows you to select a human in your photos and automatically remove the background around them. This feature can be used with the other masking tools available in Luminar NEO. Together, they create a robust set of masking tools that speed up the editing workflow and bring a new level of creativity.

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In this article:

• What is the Portrait Background Removal
• Introducing the Portrait Background Removal buttons & sliders
• Getting started with the Portrait Background Removal
• Video tutorial
• Luminar NEO

What is the Portrait Background Removal Tool

The Portrait Background Removal is part of the masking tools available in Luminar NEO. It allows you to select a human in your photos and automatically remove the background around them. In addition, the tool comes with a Refinements Brush panel that enables you to help the AI engine refine the background removal mask.

Introducing the Portrait Background Removal buttons and sliders

Portrait Background (Button)

This button initiates the Portrait Background AI, which then automatically selects the background of your image.

Remove (Button)

After the Portrait Background AI finishes the selection, the Remove button will appear. Once ready, click on the button to remove the background. This button can be also used to access the Refinements Brush section during the editing process.

Refinements Brush (Section)

This section allows you to refine the selection created by the AI system. After opening the section (by clicking on its name or the white arrow next to it) the image will be highlighted with blue, orange and transparent zones. These help the AI to recognise the portrait and the background. You can use the Transparency, Object and Background Brush to adjust the zones and allow the AI to refine the selection. To hide the zones, close the Refinements Brush section by clicking on its name or the white arrow next to it.

Transition (Switch Button)

The Transition button is part of the Portrait Background Removal zone system the AI uses to select and remove the background. The transition zone appears as a transparent layer of the image next to the blue (Background) and orange (Object) overlays. When selecting the Transition button, you can adjust the Transition zone directly on the image with the brush tool. The Transition zone is ideal for refining the edges of the portrait (similarly to Refine Edge Brush tool in Photoshop). This feature is perfect for elements like hair, fingers and small objects.

Object (Switch Button)

The Object button is part of the Portrait Background Removal zone system the AI uses to select and remove the background. The object zone appears as an orange overlay on the image next to the transparent zone (Transparency) and blue (Background) overlay. When the Object button is selected, you can adjust the object zone directly on the image with the brush tool. The Object zone is ideal for setting up the base of the portrait and guiding the AI to recognise solid elements that shouldn't be removed from the background.

Background (Switch Button)

The Background button is part of the Portrait Background Removal zone system the AI uses to select and remove the background. The background zone appears as a blue overlay on the image next to the transparent zone (Transparency) and orange (Object) overlay. When selecting the Background button, you can adjust the background zone directly on the image with the brush tool. The background zone helps the AI recognise clear parts of the image that should be removed as a part of the background.

Size (Slider)

This slider adjusts the size of the Brush used for the Transparency, Object and Background zone adjustments.

Getting started with Portrait Background Removal

1. Select the portrait image in the Catalog Module
2. Open it in the Edit Module (E)
3. Navigate to the top of the main toolbar (right side of the screen) and open the Layer Properties by clicking on its name or the white arrow next to it
4. Select the Masking tab on the top of the tool
5. Select the Portrait Background removal option at the bottom of the list
6. Once the AI selection is finished, click on the Remove button to remove the background
7. Use the Refinements Brush to refine the background selection

Portrait Background Removal video tutorial

Watch the full video tutorial covering all sliders and techniques for this tool.

Luminar NEO

Luminar Neo is the latest editing software from Skylum. It was announced back in September 2021 and has been highly anticipated.

Luminar Neo is an AI-powered photo editing software. Skylum has said that Neo isn't replacing their previous release—Luminar AI. But Neo sets out to fix some of the issues users faced with Luminar AI.

We were impressed with the AI tools in Luminar AI. But like many others, we encountered performance issues. Luminar Neo uses the same AI tools, but the new high-speed core engine improves speed and performance.

Luminar Neo isn't just more of the same. We're happy to see Skylum has taken Neo in a different direction, adding layer and mask AI tools to the program. This broadens Neo's appeal, taking it in an Adobe Photoshop direction.

Learn more about Luminar NEO here.

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