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Nayaoh's avatar
Nayaoh
Iron Contributor
Nov 06, 2025

Any free tool available to remove text from image or picture?

Hi,

I have dozens of images where I need to cleanly remove some text from the pictures. The text is overlaid on a relatively simple background, but I'm struggling to get a good result without it looking obviously edited. I've tried a few basic online free tools, but they leave behind a blurry or mismatched patch.

Could you please suggest the most effective method to remove text from image? I'm comfortable using anything user friendly and quick.However, not the complex and expensive ones like Adobe Photoshop.

9 Replies

  • Eliasyuer's avatar
    Eliasyuer
    Iron Contributor

    You can free online tool if you just want to remove text from a few images.

  • Ostarari's avatar
    Ostarari
    Iron Contributor

    GlMP is a powerful, free, open-source image editing software often compared to Photoshop. It’s very capable of removing text from images, especially when backgrounds are complex or detailed. However, it requires some manual work and a bit of learning, but it offers professional-quality results once you get the hang of it.

    How to remove text from image:

    1. Install GlMP (it's free).
    2. Download the Resynthesizer plugin. You can find the latest version for your OS on GitHub (search for "GlMP Resynthesizer") or from reputable GlMP plugin sites.
    3. Install it by placing the files in your GlMP plugins folder (the location varies by OS).
    4. Use it: Open your image in GlMP, use the Free Select Tool (Lasso) to carefully select the text, then go to Filters > Enhance > Heal Selection.... The text will vanish, replaced by the surrounding background.
  • Nguyenais's avatar
    Nguyenais
    Bronze Contributor

    Lama Cleaner is a powerful open-source tool specifically designed for removing text form pictures, images and photos.

    # Install lama-cleaner
    pip install lama-cleaner
    
    # Run with default model
    lama-cleaner --model=lama --device=cpu --port=8080
    
    # Then use curl to process images
    curl -X POST -F "image=@input.jpg" http://localhost:8080/clean \
      -F "mask=@mask.png" -o output.jpg

    Command-line batch processing with Lama. This is a very simple way to remove text from images. You can try in on Windows 11 and Windows 10.

    # Create a simple batch script
    for file in *.jpg; do
        lama-cleaner --model=lama --device=cpu --input="$file" --output="clean_$file"
    done

     

  • Krita is a powerful, free, open-source digital painting and image editing software. While it is primarily designed for artists and illustrators, it also has useful tools for photo editing, including removing text from images. However, it requires a bit more manual effort compared to AI-based tools.

    Pros:

    • Free and open source
    • Highly customizable
    • Good for detailed manual editing
    • Offers advanced tools like Clone Brush, Healing Brush, and other painting tools

    Cons:

    • Not specifically designed for quick object removal like dedicated AI tools
    • Slightly steeper learning curve if you're new to image editing

     

    How to remove text from image using Krita:

    1. Download and install Krita and open your image  
    2. Duplicate the original layer to keep a backup.
    3. Use Layer > Duplicate Layer.
    4. On the toolbar, choose the Clone Brush or Healing Brush.
    5. Hold Ctrl and click to select an area of the background close to the text.
    6. Carefully brush over the text, blending it with the surrounding background.
    7. Adjust the brush size for precision.
    8. Use different sampled points and small brushes for a natural look.
    9. Zoom in for detailed work.
    10. Once satisfied, export the image via File > Export.
  • Damk's avatar
    Damk
    Iron Contributor

    Here's a comprehensive guide to command-line approaches for removing text from images, ranging from simple automated tools to advanced AI-powered solutions.

    Method 1: Using Region Based Filling

    This is a very simple way to remove text from pictures.

    # For text on solid backgrounds - replace specific color regions
    convert input.jpg -fill "#FFFFFF" -draw "rectangle 100,100,300,150" output.jpg
    
    # Using blur/morphology to hide text (works for small text)
    convert input.jpg -morphology close square:3 -blur 0x2 output.jpg

    Method 2: Python with OpenCV & Computer Vision

    Create a Python script for more sophisticated text detection and removal.

    #!/usr/bin/env python3
    import cv2
    import numpy as np
    import sys
    from skimage import restoration
    
    def remove_text_simple(input_path, output_path):
        img = cv2.imread(input_path)
        
        # Method 1: Inpainting (if you know text coordinates)
        mask = np.zeros(img.shape[:2], np.uint8)
        
        # Define text region (you'll need to adjust these coordinates)
        cv2.rectangle(mask, (x1, y1), (x2, y2), 255, -1)
        
        # Use inpainting to remove text
        result = cv2.inpaint(img, mask, 3, cv2.INPAINT_TELEA)
        
        cv2.imwrite(output_path, result)
    
    if __name__ == "__main__":
        remove_text_simple(sys.argv[1], sys.argv[2])

    For simple cases: Use ImaageMagick with region blurring

    For precise removal: Use OpenCV inpainting with manually defined regions

    For AI-powered quality: Use Lama Cleaner or similar ML tools

    For batch processing: Create wrapper scripts around any of these tools

  • How to remove text from image? Inpaint is excellent for quick, free removal of text with minimal fuss, especially on straightforward backgrounds. It’s a great choice if you want a simple, effective solution without complex manual editing. Here's what you need to know about using Inpaint for free text removal:

    Tips:

    • Best suited for images with simple or uniform backgrounds.
    • For complex backgrounds, results may vary; you might need to do multiple passes or use additional editing tools.
    • The free version allows for basic editing; if you need higher resolution images or batch processing, there might be premium options.
  • Walterttor's avatar
    Walterttor
    Iron Contributor

    Photoshop offers several tools for this task, with Generative Fill now being the most powerful. It is the modern, and magical way to remove text from picture.

    Imagine you have a photograph with a person in it, and you want to remove that person. In the past, you'd have to manually "paint" or "clone" the background from the surrounding areas to fill the hole, which was often tedious and required skill.

    Generative Fill is like having a brilliant, AI-powered artist inside Photoshop. You tell this artist, "see this empty spot? Look at the rest of the photo and paint something that fits perfectly there." And it does, in seconds.

    Step 1: Select the area containing the text. The Lasso Tool (L) or the Rectangular Marquee Tool (M) work well.

    Step 2: With the selection active, click the Generative Fill button in the taskbar (or go to Edit > Generative Fill).

    Step 3: Leave the text prompt blank. This tells Photoshop to simply "fill" the space based on the surrounding context.

    Step 4: Click Generate. Photoshop's AI will create three options to remove text from picture. It seamlessly blends the new content with the background.

    Generative Fill is the most recommended way to remove text from text AI free. However, you need to spend sometime on how it works. 

     

  • Fotor is a good, user-friendly online photo editor that can help you remove text from images, especially if the background is simple. Here's how you can use Fotor to free remove text from image effectively:

    How to Remove Text from Image Using Fotor:

    1. Go to Fotor's Website
    2. Click on "Edit" to launch the photo editor.
    3. Click on "Open" and upload the image from your device.
    4. Look for tools like "Clone" or "Healing" (sometimes called "Blemish Fix" or "Clone Stamp").
    5. If Fotor has a dedicated "Object Removal" feature, select it.
    6. Carefully brush over the text you want to remove.
    7. The tool will automatically sample surrounding pixels and fill in the area, blending it with the background.
    8. Zoom in for precision if needed.
    9. Use the brush size to get a clean removal.
    10. Once satisfied, click "Save" to download the edited image.

     

    Since Fotor's free tools are basic, results are best with images that have a simple or uniform background. For complex backgrounds, you might need to do multiple passes or use other tools like Inpaint or Photopea for finer control.

  • Catherinem's avatar
    Catherinem
    Iron Contributor

    Modern phones have incredibly powerful photo editors built-in to let you easily remove text from images free.

    For Samsung Galaxy (Object Eraser)

    1. Open the image in the Samsung Gallery app.
    2. Tap "Edit" (the pencil icon), then tap "Labs" and select "Object Eraser."
    3. Trace or tap on the text you want to remove.
    4. Tap "Erase."

    For Google Pixel (Magic Eraser)

    1. Open the image in the Google Photos app.
    2. Tap "Edit" -> "Tools" -> "Magic Eraser."
    3. Tap on the text or brush over it.
    4. Tap "Remove."

    For  iPhone (With a Third-Party App)

    While iOS doesn't have a built-in tool as robust as Android for removing text from pictures, excellent apps exist:

    TouchRetouch ($1.99): A classic app dedicated to this exact task. It has a "Line Removal" tool perfect for text and a "Brush" tool for larger areas.

    Snapseed (Free by Google): Use the "Healing" tool. It works very similarly to Photoshop's Spot Healing Brush.

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