Removing Photo Backgrounds

In Keynote, you can eliminate a photo’s background, so that it doesn’t cover up the headlines, subheads, and other editorial and graphic elements already on a slide. Keynote’s Instant Alpha too alows you to convert the background of that photo into an alpha channel, a transparent layer that lets everyone see the elements on your slide right through the photo.

To create an Alpha Channel and remove a photo’s background:

1. Select the image whose background you want to eliminate.
2. Click the Alpha button in the toolbar (or choose Instant Alpha from the Format menu).
3. Click the background color you want to make transparent, slowly drag the Alpha tool over it, then press Return.

As you drag, the Alpha tool also renders transparent contiguous areas with colors similar to the one you clicked originally. By clicking and dragging over additional areas of your photo, you’ll quickly eliminate, or “knock out,” the entire background from the photo, leaving only those elements you want to include on your slide.