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

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.
Get Started#
Create a new Vue application with Background Removal Editor integration.
Step 1: Create a New Project#
npm create vue@latest your-project-name
cd your-project-namenpm create vue@latest your-project-name
cd your-project-namepnpm create vue your-project-name
cd your-project-namepnpm create vue your-project-name
cd your-project-nameyarn create vue your-project-name
cd your-project-nameyarn create vue your-project-name
cd your-project-nameStep 2: Clone the Starter Kit#
Clone the starter kit and copy the editor configuration to your project:
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-webgit 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-webnpx degit imgly/starterkit-background-removal-editor-ts-web/src/imgly ./src/imgly
npx degit imgly/starterkit-background-removal-editor-ts-web/public/assets ./public/assetsnpx degit imgly/starterkit-background-removal-editor-ts-web/src/imgly ./src/imgly
npx degit imgly/starterkit-background-removal-editor-ts-web/public/assets ./public/assetsStep 3: Install Dependencies#
Install the required packages for the editor:
Core Editor#
Install the Creative Editor SDK:
npm install @cesdk/cesdk-jsnpm install @cesdk/cesdk-jspnpm add @cesdk/cesdk-jspnpm add @cesdk/cesdk-jsyarn add @cesdk/cesdk-jsyarn add @cesdk/cesdk-jsBackground Removal#
Add AI-powered background removal:
npm install @imgly/plugin-background-removal-web @imgly/background-removal onnxruntime-webnpm install @imgly/plugin-background-removal-web @imgly/background-removal onnxruntime-webpnpm add @imgly/plugin-background-removal-web @imgly/background-removal onnxruntime-webpnpm add @imgly/plugin-background-removal-web @imgly/background-removal onnxruntime-webyarn add @imgly/plugin-background-removal-web @imgly/background-removal onnxruntime-webyarn add @imgly/plugin-background-removal-web @imgly/background-removal onnxruntime-webStep 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.
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.zipcurl -O https://cdn.img.ly/packages/imgly/cesdk-js/1.73.0/imgly-assets.zip
unzip imgly-assets.zip -d public/
rm imgly-assets.zipStep 5: Create the Editor Component#
Create a Vue component using the official CE.SDK Vue wrapper (e.g., BackgroundRemovalEditor.vue):
<template> <CreativeEditor :config="{ baseURL: '/assets' }" :init="initBackgroundRemovalEditor" width="100vw" height="100vh" /></template>
<script setup lang="ts">import { initBackgroundRemovalEditor } from './imgly';import CreativeEditor from '@cesdk/cesdk-js/vue';</script>Step 6: Use the Component#
Use the component in your app:
<template> <BackgroundRemovalEditor /></template>
<script setup lang="ts">import BackgroundRemovalEditor from './components/BackgroundRemovalEditor.vue';</script>Get Started#
Integrate the Background Removal Editor into an existing Vue application. This adds the editor configuration to your current project structure.
Step 1: Clone#
cd your-projectcd your-projectClone the starter kit and copy the editor configuration to your project:
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-webgit 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-webnpx degit imgly/starterkit-background-removal-editor-ts-web/src/imgly ./src/imglynpx degit imgly/starterkit-background-removal-editor-ts-web/src/imgly ./src/imglyThe imgly/ folder contains the editor configuration:
imgly/├── config/│ ├── actions.ts # Export/import actions│ ├── features.ts # Feature toggles│ ├── i18n.ts # Translations│ ├── plugin.ts # Main configuration plugin│ ├── settings.ts # Engine settings│ └── ui/│ ├── canvas.ts # Canvas configuration│ ├── components.ts # Custom component registration│ ├── dock.ts # Dock layout configuration│ ├── index.ts # Combines UI customization exports│ ├── inspectorBar.ts # Inspector bar layout│ ├── navigationBar.ts # Navigation bar layout│ └── panel.ts # Panel configuration├── index.ts # Editor initialization function└── plugins/ └── background-removal.tsStep 2: Install Dependencies#
Core Editor#
npm install @cesdk/cesdk-jsnpm install @cesdk/cesdk-jspnpm add @cesdk/cesdk-jspnpm add @cesdk/cesdk-jsyarn add @cesdk/cesdk-jsyarn add @cesdk/cesdk-jsBackground Removal#
npm install @imgly/plugin-background-removal-web @imgly/background-removal onnxruntime-webnpm install @imgly/plugin-background-removal-web @imgly/background-removal onnxruntime-webpnpm add @imgly/plugin-background-removal-web @imgly/background-removal onnxruntime-webpnpm add @imgly/plugin-background-removal-web @imgly/background-removal onnxruntime-webyarn add @imgly/plugin-background-removal-web @imgly/background-removal onnxruntime-webyarn add @imgly/plugin-background-removal-web @imgly/background-removal onnxruntime-webStep 3: Download Assets#
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.zipcurl -O https://cdn.img.ly/packages/imgly/cesdk-js/1.73.0/imgly-assets.zip
unzip imgly-assets.zip -d public/
rm imgly-assets.zipStep 4: Create the Editor Component#
<template> <CreativeEditor :config="{ baseURL: '/assets' }" :init="initBackgroundRemovalEditor" width="100vw" height="100vh" /></template>
<script setup lang="ts">import { initBackgroundRemovalEditor } from './imgly';import CreativeEditor from '@cesdk/cesdk-js/vue';</script>Step 5: Use the Component#
<template> <BackgroundRemovalEditor /></template>
<script setup lang="ts">import BackgroundRemovalEditor from './components/BackgroundRemovalEditor.vue';</script>Using Background Removal#
The editor provides two ways to remove backgrounds:
Via Canvas Menu#
- Select an image in the editor
- The canvas menu appears with a “BG Removal” button
- Click the button to AI-remove the background
Via Apps Panel#
- Click the “Apps” button in the dock (left sidebar)
- The Apps panel opens showing “Remove Background”
- 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:
// Create a blank design canvas - starts with an empty design sceneawait cesdk.actions.run('scene.create');
// Load from a template archive - restores a previously saved projectawait cesdk.loadFromArchiveURL('https://example.com/template.zip');
// Load from an image URL - creates a new scene with the imageawait cesdk.createFromImage('https://example.com/image.jpg');
// Load from a scene file - restores a scene from JSONawait cesdk.loadFromURL('https://example.com/scene.json');The createDesignScene() method is ideal for design workflows, as it creates a blank canvas ready for content.
Key Capabilities#
AI Background Removal
Remove backgrounds with one click. Uses ONNX Runtime for client-side AI processing—no server needed.
Professional Filters
Apply color grading with LUT filters, duotone effects, and customizable image adjustments.
Text & Typography
Add styled text with comprehensive typography controls, fonts, and visual effects.
Asset Libraries
Access built-in collections of templates, stickers, shapes, and graphics, plus import custom assets.
Privacy-First
All processing happens locally in the browser. No data is sent to external servers.
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
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
licenseproperty in your configuration - Sign up for a trial: Get a free trial license at img.ly/forms/free-trial
Next Steps#
- Background Removal Plugin – Detailed plugin configuration options
- Configuration – Complete list of initialization options
- Serve Assets – Self-host engine assets for production
- Actions – Build custom export and save workflows
- Theming – Customize colors and appearance