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Background Removal Editor for React

Effortlessly remove background from images directly in the browser with no additional costs and privacy concerns.

Background Removal Editor starter kit showing AI-powered background removal interface

10 mins
estimated time
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Prerequisites#

Before you begin, make sure you have the following:

  • Node.js v20+ and npm installed locally – Download Node.js
  • A supported browser – Chrome 114+, Edge 114+, Firefox 115+, Safari 15.6+
    See Browser Support for the full list.
New Project
Existing Project

Get Started#

Create a new React application with Background Removal Editor integration.

Step 1: Create a New Project#

Terminal
npm create vite@latest your-project-name — —template react-ts
cd your-project-name
npm create vite@latest your-project-name — —template react-ts
cd your-project-name

Step 2: Clone the Starter Kit#

Clone the starter kit and copy the editor configuration to your project:

Terminal
git clone https://github.com/imgly/starterkit-background-removal-editor-ts-web.git
cp -r starterkit-background-removal-editor-ts-web/src/imgly ./src/imgly
rm -rf starterkit-background-removal-editor-ts-web
git clone https://github.com/imgly/starterkit-background-removal-editor-ts-web.git
cp -r starterkit-background-removal-editor-ts-web/src/imgly ./src/imgly
rm -rf starterkit-background-removal-editor-ts-web

Step 3: Install Dependencies#

Install the required packages for the editor:

Core Editor#

Install the Creative Editor SDK:

Terminal
npm install @cesdk/cesdk-js
npm install @cesdk/cesdk-js

Background Removal#

Add AI-powered background removal:

Terminal
npm install @imgly/plugin-background-removal-web @imgly/background-removal
onnxruntime-web
npm install @imgly/plugin-background-removal-web @imgly/background-removal
onnxruntime-web
  • @imgly/plugin-background-removal-web – CE.SDK plugin that integrates background removal into the editor UI (canvas menu and Apps panel)
  • @imgly/background-removal – AI-powered image segmentation library (~30MB model download on first use, then cached)
  • onnxruntime-web – Machine learning runtime that executes the AI model in the browser

Step 4: Download Assets#

CE.SDK requires engine assets (fonts, icons, UI elements) to function. These must be served as static files from your project’s public/ directory.

Terminal
curl -O https://cdn.img.ly/packages/imgly/cesdk-js/1.73.0/imgly-assets.zip
unzip imgly-assets.zip -d public/
rm imgly-assets.zip
curl -O https://cdn.img.ly/packages/imgly/cesdk-js/1.73.0/imgly-assets.zip
unzip imgly-assets.zip -d public/
rm imgly-assets.zip

Step 5: Create the Editor Component#

Create a React component using the official CE.SDK React wrapper (e.g., BackgroundRemovalEditor.tsx):

import { initBackgroundRemovalEditor } from './imgly';
import CreativeEditor from '@cesdk/cesdk-js/react';


export default function BackgroundRemovalEditor() {
  return (
    <CreativeEditor
      config={{ baseURL: '/assets' }}
      init={initBackgroundRemovalEditor}
      style={{ width: '100vw', height: '100vh' }}
    />
  );
}

Step 6: Use the Component#

Import and use the Background Removal Editor component in your app:

import BackgroundRemovalEditor from './components/BackgroundRemovalEditor';


function App() {
  return <BackgroundRemovalEditor />;
}


export default App;

Using Background Removal#

The editor provides two ways to remove backgrounds:

Via Canvas Menu#

  1. Select an image in the editor
  2. The canvas menu appears with a “BG Removal” button
  3. Click the button to AI-remove the background

Via Apps Panel#

  1. Click the “Apps” button in the dock (left sidebar)
  2. The Apps panel opens showing “Remove Background”
  3. Select an image, then click “Remove Background” in the panel

Set Up a Scene#

CE.SDK offers multiple ways to load content into the editor. Choose the method that matches your use case:

src/index.ts
// Create a blank design canvas - starts with an empty design scene
await cesdk.actions.run('scene.create');


// Load from a template archive - restores a previously saved project
await cesdk.loadFromArchiveURL('https://example.com/template.zip');


// Load from an image URL - creates a new scene with the image
await cesdk.createFromImage('https://example.com/image.jpg');


// Load from a scene file - restores a scene from JSON
await cesdk.loadFromURL('https://example.com/scene.json');

The createDesignScene() method is ideal for design workflows, as it creates a blank canvas ready for content.

Customize Assets#

The Background Removal Editor uses asset source plugins to provide built-in libraries for templates, stickers, shapes, and fonts. The starter kit includes a curated selection—customize what’s included based on your needs.

Asset sources are added via plugins in src/imgly/index.ts. Enable or disable individual sources:

src/imgly/index.ts
import {
  FiltersAssetSource,
  StickerAssetSource,
  TextAssetSource,
  VectorShapeAssetSource,
  EffectsAssetSource,
  // ...
} from '@cesdk/cesdk-js/plugins';


// Add only the sources you need
await cesdk.addPlugin(new FiltersAssetSource());
await cesdk.addPlugin(new StickerAssetSource());
await cesdk.addPlugin(new TextAssetSource());
await cesdk.addPlugin(new VectorShapeAssetSource());
await cesdk.addPlugin(new EffectsAssetSource());
// ...

For production deployments, self-hosting assets is required—the IMG.LY CDN is intended for development only. See Serve Assets for downloading assets, configuring baseURL, and excluding unused sources to optimize load times.

Configure Actions#

Actions are functions that handle user interactions like exporting designs, saving scenes, and importing files. CE.SDK provides built-in actions that you can run directly or override with custom implementations.

Key built-in actions:

  • exportDesign – Export the current design to PNG, JPEG, PDF, or other formats
  • saveScene – Save the scene as a JSON string for later editing
  • importScene – Import a previously saved scene (supports .scene and .cesdk formats)
  • exportScene – Export the scene as a JSON file or .cesdk archive with all assets
  • uploadFile – Handle file uploads with progress tracking

Use cesdk.actions.run() to execute any action:

// Run a built-in action
await cesdk.actions.run('exportDesign', { mimeType: 'image/png' });

Customize (Optional)#

Theming#

CE.SDK supports light and dark themes out of the box, plus automatic system preference detection. Switch between themes programmatically:

src/imgly/config/settings.ts
// 'light' | 'dark' | 'system' | (() => 'light' | 'dark')
cesdk.ui.setTheme('dark');

See Theming for custom color schemes, CSS variables, and advanced styling options.

Localization#

Customize UI labels and add support for multiple languages. The i18n system supports translation keys for all UI elements:

src/imgly/config/i18n.ts
// Override specific labels
cesdk.i18n.setTranslations({
  en: {
    'actions.export.image': 'Download Design',
    'common.cancel': 'Cancel',
    'common.apply': 'Apply',
  },
});

See Localization for supported languages, translation key reference, and right-to-left language support.

Key Capabilities#

The Background Removal Editor includes AI-powered background removal plus full design editing capabilities.

AI Background Removal

AI Background Removal

Remove backgrounds with one click. Uses ONNX Runtime for client-side AI processing—no server needed.

Professional Filters

Professional Filters

Apply color grading with LUT filters, duotone effects, and customizable image adjustments.

Text & Typography

Text & Typography

Add styled text with comprehensive typography controls, fonts, and visual effects.

Asset Libraries

Asset Libraries

Access built-in collections of templates, stickers, shapes, and graphics, plus import custom assets.

Privacy-First

Privacy-First

All processing happens locally in the browser. No data is sent to external servers.

Export Options

Export Options

Export to multiple formats including PNG, JPEG, and PDF with quality and size controls.


Troubleshooting#

Editor doesn’t load#

  • Check the container element exists: Ensure your container element is in the DOM before calling create()
  • Verify the baseURL: Assets must be accessible from the CDN or your self-hosted location
  • Check console errors: Look for CORS or network errors in browser developer tools

Assets don’t appear#

  • Check network requests: Open DevTools Network tab and look for failed requests to cdn.img.ly
  • Self-host assets for production: See Serve Assets to host assets on your infrastructure

Background removal is slow on first use#

  • This is expected: The first use downloads AI models (~30MB). Subsequent uses are instant as models are cached by the browser.

Watermark appears in production#

  • Add your license key: Set the license property in your configuration
  • Sign up for a trial: Get a free trial license at img.ly/forms/free-trial

Next Steps#