How to Change a Photo Background to Blue or Red for ID Cards

To change a photo's background to blue or red for an ID card, upload the photo to a background colour changer, let it detect and cut out the subject automatically, then apply the exact colour your school, company or ID form asks for. This works even on a photo that currently has a white or uneven background.

Why ID cards ask for specific background colours

Many schools, colleges and companies use a specific background colour on ID photos to visually separate categories, such as blue for staff and red for visitors, or a different colour per academic year or department. Government ID photos, by contrast, usually ask for plain white or a light background; the Indian passport booklet, for example, asks for a plain white background. Always check the specific instructions for your card before picking a colour, since the requirement is set by whoever issues the card, not by any universal standard.

Try it here

Change background to blue

Set to blue. Use the colour picker to match the exact shade on your institution's sample.

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Step by step

1. Take or choose a clear, well-lit photo with the subject facing forward, ideally already against a plain, evenly lit background.
2. Upload it to the background colour changer.
3. Let the tool detect and separate the subject from its current background automatically.
4. Select the exact colour your ID card or form requires, whether that is a specific shade of blue or red.
5. Check the edges closely, especially around hair and shoulders, since these are the hardest areas for any automatic tool to cut cleanly.
6. Download the result (downloads need a free Google sign-in) and crop it to the exact size the ID card template requires.

Getting a clean edge around hair and shoulders

Flyaway hair strands and shoulders in dark clothing that blends into a dark backdrop are the two most common trouble spots for a clean colour swap. Photograph against a background that contrasts clearly with both your hair colour and your clothing if possible, since this gives the background detection an easier starting point than a photo where the subject and background are already similar in tone.

Matching the exact required shade

"Blue" and "red" can mean quite different shades depending on the organisation's template, from a bright royal blue to a muted navy, or a bright red to a deeper maroon. If your ID form gives an exact colour code or a sample image, match it as closely as the tool allows rather than picking the first blue or red option that looks approximately right, since a visibly different shade can get a photo rejected during verification even if everything else is correct.

Using the same photo for multiple coloured backgrounds

If you need the same photo on two different coloured backgrounds, for example a blue version for one card and a white version for a government form, keep the cut-out (background-removed) version of the photo and reapply a different colour each time rather than starting over from the original photo. Our guide to background removal for a transparent logo covers the same underlying cutout process, just applied to a logo instead of a face photo.

Common mistakes

• Choosing a colour that is close but not an exact match to the required shade.
• Not checking for a faint colour halo around hair or glasses after the swap.
• Using a low-resolution or blurry source photo, which makes clean edge detection much harder.
• Forgetting to crop to the exact size the specific ID template requires after changing the colour.
• Assuming a photo taken under yellow indoor lighting will match a bright, evenly lit reference photo after only a background swap; the colour cast on the face itself is a separate problem the background tool does not fix.

What to do if the photo has an odd colour cast

A photo taken under warm indoor bulbs often has a yellowish or orange tint across the whole image, including the subject's face and clothing, not just the background. Changing the background colour does not correct this cast on the subject, so if your ID photo looks off-colour even after a clean background swap, the fix is to retake the photo under neutral white light, ideally daylight from a window, rather than trying to colour-correct it afterward. If the government version of the same document needs a plain white background instead, the white background photo tool handles that swap from the same corrected source photo.

Printing vs digital use

Screens and printers render colour slightly differently, so a blue that looks correct on your phone screen can shift a little when printed on an ID card at a local press. If your organisation prints ID cards in bulk through a specific vendor, ask if they have a reference sample or a colour code, and send your edited photo well before the printing deadline so any colour mismatch can be caught and corrected before hundreds of cards are printed.

A quick habit for schools and offices issuing many ID cards

If you are the one collecting photos from many students or employees rather than editing your own single photo, ask everyone to submit their original photo before any background change, and apply the same background colour tool and settings to every photo centrally. This keeps the final set of ID cards visually consistent, rather than ending up with a mix of slightly different blues or reds because different people used different tools or settings on their own.

Tools for this

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Passport Seva, Application Form Instruction Booklet (white background rule) (checked 2026-09)

Rules and limits change. Always check the latest official notification or portal before you submit a form.