How to Create a White Background for Product Photos

Why White Backgrounds Are the Ecommerce Standard

White backgrounds put all visual focus on the product. Amazon requires them for main listing images. Google Shopping prefers them for product ads. Shopify, Etsy, and eBay all recommend white backgrounds for cleaner search results. A pure white background also makes your catalog look consistent, which builds trust with buyers. The technical standard is RGB 255,255,255 — anything slightly gray or off-white can trigger automated rejection on Amazon.

Why DIY White Backgrounds Usually Fail

• White paper or poster board photographs as gray under normal room lighting
• Lightbox setups still produce shadows at product edges and corners
• Camera auto-exposure compensates for white, making the whole image too dark
• Post-processing in phone apps rarely achieves true RGB 255,255,255
• Fabric backdrops wrinkle and create uneven tones across the frame
• Even professional studio shots need post-processing to hit exact white values

How AI White Background Removal Works

Instead of trying to shoot on white and fixing it in post, the faster approach is to remove the background entirely and replace it with pure white. EditThisPic's AI identifies the product boundary — even around complex shapes like wicker baskets, mesh fabric, translucent glass, or thin handles — and replaces everything behind it with RGB 255,255,255 white. No manual masking, no pen tool tracing, no layer adjustments.

Handling Difficult Product Types

Some products are harder to isolate than others. White or light-colored products can blend into a white background — the AI preserves subtle edge detail and shadows to keep the product visible. Transparent products like glass bottles or clear phone cases get special treatment to maintain their see-through quality. Products with fine details like jewelry chains or knit fabric get precise edge detection that preserves every strand and thread.

Adding Natural Shadows for Depth

A product floating on flat white can look unnatural. After removing the background, you can add a subtle shadow back: 'add a soft drop shadow under the product.' This grounds the product on the white surface and gives it a three-dimensional feel. Many professional product photographers add shadows in post-production for exactly this reason.

Processing Multiple Product Photos Quickly

If you have a catalog of products to edit, the workflow stays the same for each image. Upload, type 'replace background with pure white,' download. The AI is consistent across photos, so your entire catalog maintains the same clean white background. No need to calibrate settings between shots or match exposure levels manually.