# Background Remover - Core.Today AI API

> The most-used background remover on Replicate (27M+ runs). Removes backgrounds with soft alpha or hard segmentation, supports reverse mode (remove foreground), custom background types, and transparent PNG output — all at a very low price.

- **Provider**: 851 Labs
- **Model ID**: 851-labs/background-remover
- **Category**: Image Generation
- **Credits**: 1 per image
- **Speed**: Fast
- **Quality**: High

## Features
- Most-used background remover on Replicate
- Soft alpha matte or hard segmentation (threshold)
- Reverse mode — remove the foreground instead
- Custom backgrounds: transparent, white, green, blur, overlay
- Extremely low cost (2 credits per image)

## Use Cases
- Product photos for e-commerce
- Profile picture cutouts
- Bulk catalog image processing
- Sticker and thumbnail creation
- Green-screen compositing prep

## API Endpoint

Base URL: https://api.core.today/v1
Create Prediction: POST /predictions
Get Status: GET /predictions/{job_id}

## Authentication
Header: X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY

## Input Parameters

### Required
- **image**: string - Input image to remove the background from

### Optional
- **threshold**: number (default: 0) - Hard segmentation threshold (0.0-1.0). 0 uses soft alpha matte
- **reverse**: boolean (default: false) - Remove the foreground instead of the background
- **background_type**: string (default: rgba) - 'rgba' (transparent), 'white', 'green', 'blur', 'overlay', 'map', an [R,G,B] array, or an image URL
- **format**: string (default: png) - Output format (png for transparency, jpg)

## Examples

### Transparent Product Cutout
Remove the background and get a transparent PNG
```json
{
  "model": "851-labs/background-remover",
  "input": {
    "image": "https://example.com/product.jpg",
    "format": "png",
    "background_type": "rgba"
  }
}
```

### White Background for Marketplace
Replace the background with clean white
```json
{
  "model": "851-labs/background-remover",
  "input": {
    "image": "https://example.com/product.jpg",
    "background_type": "white"
  }
}
```

## Response Format
```json
{
  "job_id": "abc123",
  "status": "pending | processing | completed | failed",
  "result": "URL or data (when completed)"
}
```

## Usage Flow
1. POST /predictions with model and input -> receive job_id
2. GET /predictions/{job_id} -> poll until status is completed or failed
3. Result contains output URL(s)

## Tips
- Keep threshold at 0 (soft alpha) for hair and fine edges; raise it for crisp hard cutouts
- Use format: png with background_type: rgba for transparency
- background_type: blur gives an instant portrait-mode effect
- At 2 credits per image, it's ideal for bulk catalog processing
- For the highest edge fidelity on difficult subjects, compare with BiRefNet

## Documentation
https://replicate.com/851-labs/background-remover