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How to change the background colour of an image in Canva

There are two different jobs hiding in this question, and Canva handles them in different places.

Updated2 October 20264 min read

Overhead shot of brightly coloured sheets of paper arranged in an overlapping abstract pattern

Changing a background colour sounds like one operation, but it is two. The page behind your design has a colour you can change in a few clicks. The background inside a photo is part of the picture, and it has to be removed before anything you put behind it can show.

This guide separates the two, covers the routes that work with and without a paid plan, and ends with the rule that catches people selling online: a main product image usually has to be on pure white.

What you need to know first

Before the step-by-step, these are the points that decide the outcome. If you are in a hurry, the first one covers most cases.

  1. Page colour is not photo colour

    Changing the page background does nothing visible while the photo still has its own background on top. The removal has to come first.

  2. The page colour is one toolbar button

    Select the page background and choose Background color in the floating toolbar. You can pick a tile or add your own solid or gradient colour.

  3. Frames mask without removing

    Dropping a photo into a shape frame hides everything outside the shape. It handles some photos without needing the Background Remover.

  4. Duotone recolours everything

    Duotone is now under Filters, at the end of the list. It maps the whole photo to two colours, so it suits banners and not product shots.

Which route applies to you

Your situation Route Result
You have a plan that includes BG Remover Remove the background, then set the page colour Cleanest cutout
Free account, photo already cut out as a PNG Place it and set the page colour Same result, no removal needed
Free account, subject sits inside a simple shape Frame mask over a coloured page Good for circular crops
Decorative graphics only Duotone filter Stylised, recolours the whole photo
Photo not taken yet Shoot against plain card Best of all, no editing

The last row is the one people skip. A sheet of coloured card behind the product removes the whole problem before it starts.

The standard route

Step 1: Remove the photo’s own background

Select the photo and click BG Remover in the editor toolbar, then wait for the background to be processed. Until this happens, the photo’s background sits on top of anything you put behind it. If the button asks you to upgrade, your plan does not include it. Our guide to removing a background in Canva covers what Canva says about plans and limits.

Step 2: Select the page background

Click the background of the page itself, not the photo. Canva notes that if you have trouble selecting it, another element may be layered over the area. In that case move that element or lock it, then try again.

Step 3: Choose Background color

In the floating toolbar that appears, select Background color, then pick a solid or gradient tile. To use a colour that is not in the list, choose Add a colour and create a new solid or gradient tile. The Background tab in the side panel offers the same options, plus images, videos and AI backgrounds. Canva says backgrounds cannot be added or changed in Canva Docs.

Step 4: Check the edges against the new colour

Zoom in and look at the boundary between the subject and the new colour. A faint fringe that was invisible against the old background can show clearly against a flat colour. If you see one, select the photo, click BG Remover again and use Erase and Restore to clean it up.

Step 5: Download as PNG

Go to Share, then Download, and choose PNG. Canva recommends PNG for graphics and for designs with thin fonts. If you want a transparent file instead of a flat colour, the Transparent background switch is only available on Pro, Teams, Business, Education and Nonprofit plans.

A pure white product on a pure white page disappears. If that happens, use a very light grey behind the product, or add a soft shadow.

The options without BG Remover

  1. Frame masking. Add a frame from Elements, drop your photo into it, and put a coloured shape or page colour behind. Everything outside the frame shape is hidden. It works well for circular profile crops and poorly for irregular products.
  2. A PNG that is already cut out. If you have a transparent PNG from another tool, upload it and set the page colour behind it. Canva does not mind where the cutout came from.
  3. Duotone. Select the photo, click Edit, open Filters and scroll to the end to find Duotone. It maps the image to two colours of your choosing. The subject changes colour too, so this is for banners and social graphics, not for anything a buyer needs to see accurately.
  4. Adjust, on the background only. Canva’s Adjust tool, under Edit and Tools, has a Select area setting that includes Background, and a Color section where you can change hue, saturation and brightness of the colours in the image. Canva’s help page does not say whether the foreground and background selection needs a paid plan, so try it on your account.
  5. Blur instead of replacing. If the aim is to hide a messy background rather than recolour it, blurring the background is a different tool that does not need a cutout.

Colour values worth keeping

Use Value Note
Amazon main image White, RGB 255, 255, 255 As Amazon staff describe it in Seller Central forums
Print White Anything else uses ink across the whole sheet, which is a general print rule
Product that is itself white Very light grey A suggestion, so the silhouette stays visible

Other marketplaces set their own rules, and they change. Check the seller guidelines of the platform you sell on before you export.

If you only remember one thing

Remove the photo’s background first, then select the page, choose Background color and pick the colour. Without a plan that includes the Background Remover, start from a PNG that is already cut out, or use a frame mask for simple shapes.

If the edges of your cutout are the problem rather than the colour, the background removal guide covers the Erase and Restore brushes.

Frequently asked questions

Can I change a background colour without Canva Pro?

You can change the colour of the page behind a design on any plan. Changing the background inside a photo usually needs a cutout first. Canva lists its Background Remover as a paid-plan tool, so on a free account start from a PNG that is already cut out, mask the photo with a shape frame, or use Duotone if you want a stylised recolour of the whole picture.

What colour does Amazon want for a white background?

Amazon staff repeat in Seller Central forum threads that main images need a pure white background, RGB 255, 255, 255, and that off-white or grey can be rejected. That is Amazon’s own staff speaking in forums, so read the current Product image requirements page in Seller Central before you rely on it. A photo of a white wall is rarely pure white, so remove the background and set white behind the product.

Why is my new background not showing?

Usually because the photo still has its original background on top, so your page colour is hidden behind it. Remove the photo background first. Canva also notes that if you cannot select the page background, another element may be layered over the area you are clicking, so move or lock that element first.

Does changing the background colour affect image quality?

A flat colour itself does not lose detail. What can suffer is the boundary between the subject and the flat colour if you export a format that compresses it. Canva recommends PNG for graphics and for designs with thin fonts, and notes that its Quality settings are available on paid plans.

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