How to Use Magic Select in Paint 3D
Learn how the initial selection box, Add, Remove, and Autofill background work together.
Magic select turns part of a picture into a movable cutout. Give Paint 3D an area to search, then correct its proposed outline before accepting it. This guide follows a portrait with yellow clothing against a yellow backdrop to show how Add, Remove, and Autofill background work when colors are similar. You’ll end with an object you can move or copy inside a design. To export that object as a transparent PNG, follow the separate background removal guide.
How to use Magic Select in Paint 3D
Start with a clear subject
Recreated Paint 3D view · Source video at 0:35 Open the photo and zoom in enough to see where the subject meets the backdrop. In the demo, the face and glasses are easy to see, while the yellow jacket and yellow background have similar tones. Look around the outline before you start. The shoulder and the edges of the hair are good areas to check after the app makes its first selection.
Set the search area and click Next
Recreated Paint 3D view · Source video at 0:49 Choose Magic select above the canvas. Drag the sides and corners of the selection box until it surrounds the subject with some room. The box can contain background. You are telling Paint 3D where to look before it proposes an outline. Keep the top of the head and both shoulders inside the box. Click Next to see the initial cutout.
Use Add for missing pieces
Recreated Paint 3D view · Source video at 1:49 Choose Add in the refinement pane and zoom in on the area you need to fix. In the demonstration, the creator follows the shoulder seam where the jacket blends into the background. Make a short stroke over the missing part of the jacket and watch the selection edge after the mark. Repeat only where the outline still falls inside the subject. Zoom out when you finish to check the overall silhouette.
Use Remove for unwanted areas
Recreated Paint 3D view · Source video at 2:50 Choose Remove and mark an area of background that the app included by mistake. In the video, a strip of the backdrop sticks out past the hairline. Put your mark inside the unwanted strip so the tool has a clear signal. If a change eats into the subject, switch back to Add to recover the detail and make a smaller correction.
Finish and move the cutout
Recreated Paint 3D view · Source video at 3:31 Check Autofill background before you click Done. Leave it on if you plan to move the subject and want Paint 3D to fill the spot it leaves behind in the original photo. Click Done, then drag the object aside. In the example, the yellow backdrop remains and you can still see a rough outline where the portrait was. Inspect that area before you decide whether to keep the filled background.
When to use a different method
Use the regular Select tool if you only need a rectangular region, such as a panel from a screenshot. Magic Select is more useful when you need a cutout that follows the shape of a person, animal, or product. For a subject with fine hair against a busy backdrop, begin with a cleaner source photo if you have one. A clearer source usually saves more work than repeating small corrections along every edge.
Frequently asked questions
Does Autofill background remove the whole background?
Autofill addresses the gap where the selected subject was. It can help when you move an object within the original picture. If you want the subject on its own, copy it to a clean canvas or clear the old background separately, then choose the export format you need.
Can I make a cutout from artwork I already drew?
Yes. Open Magic Select and box the part of the drawing you want to move. Refine the outline like you would for a photo, then click Done and drag or copy the selection. Keep a saved original if you want to return to the intact drawing.
Watch the YouTube tutorial
Follow the original demonstration to see the controls in motion.
Watch on YouTube