DEV Community: digiplan Pro

How I Built an AI Tool to Remove Text, Watermarks, and Unwanted Objects from Images

digiplan Pro — Sat, 21 Mar 2026 14:08:22 +0000

How I Built an AI Tool to Remove Text, Watermarks, and Unwanted Objects from Images

A lot of image editing tasks are surprisingly repetitive.

Not full Photoshop-level editing — just the annoying everyday cleanup work:

removing text from a screenshot
deleting a watermark from a mockup
erasing a distracting object from a photo
cleaning up an image before reusing it in a document, ad, or design
removing a background from a product image

I kept running into these cases, so I built a small web tool for it:

It’s an online AI image cleanup tool that helps users remove text, watermarks, unwanted objects, and backgrounds from images directly in the browser.

The problem I wanted to solve

Many image tools are either:

too heavy for simple cleanup tasks
too limited to produce natural-looking results
too “one-click” with no way to refine the output

In practice, image cleanup usually needs both automation and control.

For example, AI may correctly detect most of a text overlay, but the user still wants to refine the mask around edges, shadows, or textured backgrounds. A one-click tool alone often isn’t enough.

That was the main idea behind this project:

Use AI to accelerate the cleanup, but still let the user adjust the result manually.

What the tool does

ImageCleanupAI currently focuses on a few practical workflows:

Remove text from image
Remove watermarks
Remove unwanted objects
Remove image backgrounds

The basic flow is simple:

Upload an image or screenshot
Let AI detect the removable region
Refine the mask manually if needed
Export the cleaned result

The goal is not to replace advanced image editors.

The goal is to make common cleanup work much faster.

Why I focused on text removal first

Text removal is one of the most common and underestimated image-editing needs.

Examples:

screenshots with labels or UI text
social media images with overlaid captions
memes or thumbnails with large text blocks
scanned images with extra marks
product or promo visuals that need reuse in another context

In many of these cases, the background behind the text is the hard part.

Removing the text itself is easy.

Reconstructing the surrounding pixels so the result looks natural is the real challenge.

That’s where AI-based cleanup and inpainting become useful.

What makes this type of tool useful

From a product perspective, I think tools like this are valuable when they do three things well:

1. Reduce friction

Users should be able to upload an image and start editing immediately in the browser.

2. Handle real-world messiness

Text is rarely placed on a flat white background. It sits on gradients, photos, textures, shadows, and noisy screenshots.

3. Allow refinement

Automatic detection is great, but manual adjustment is what makes the final output usable.

That’s why I prefer the combination of:

AI auto detection
brush/eraser refinement
before/after preview
fast export

Typical use cases

Some common scenarios this tool is built for:

cleaning up screenshots for blogs or documentation
removing text from images before translation or redesign
deleting small objects from product or lifestyle photos
preparing images for e-commerce listings
removing watermarks or overlay elements from design drafts
generating cleaner assets for social posts and presentations

Building small AI products around narrow tasks

One thing I’ve been thinking about a lot is that AI products do not always need to be broad.

Sometimes the better product strategy is:

pick one narrow workflow
make it significantly faster
reduce decision fatigue
keep the UI simple
ship quickly and iterate based on actual usage

“Image cleanup” is a good example of that.

It is not a glamorous category, but it is a very real one.

People need it all the time.

And because the workflow is concrete, it’s easier to improve through product iteration:
better detection, cleaner masks, more natural reconstruction, faster exports, better edge handling, better support for screenshots, and so on.

Current focus

Right now I’m continuing to improve things like:

natural-looking cleanup on complex backgrounds
mask refinement experience
export speed
separate landing pages for specific use cases
broader support for real-world image cleanup scenarios

The project

If you want to try it, the site is here:

https://imagecleanupai.com/

I’d be especially interested in feedback from people who work with:

content creation
design
e-commerce
screenshots/documentation
image-heavy SaaS workflows

I’m also curious how others here think about building narrow AI utilities:
do you prefer a focused single-purpose tool, or a larger all-in-one editor?

Thanks for reading.

I Built an AI Timeline Maker to Turn Text and Documents into Visual Timelines

digiplan Pro — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 07:41:05 +0000

Creating timelines sounds simple—until you actually have to do it.

Whether it’s a project roadmap, a company history, or a historical overview, most timeline tools are either too manual, too rigid, or too slow. I kept running into the same problem: I already had the content (text, notes, documents), but turning it into a clean, structured timeline took far too much effort.

So I decided to build AI Timeline Maker.

🚀 What is AI Timeline Maker?

AI Timeline Maker is a web-based tool that helps you create professional timelines in minutes.

You can:

Generate timelines directly from natural language

Convert documents (PDF, Word, text) into structured timelines

Edit everything visually in an interactive editor

Export timelines for presentations, reports, or sharing

The idea is simple: let AI handle the structure, while you keep full control over the final result.

🤖 Why AI?

Most timeline tools start with an empty canvas.
AI Timeline Maker starts with meaning.

Instead of manually adding events one by one, you can describe what you want:

“Company milestones from founding to IPO”
or upload a document—and the system extracts dates and events automatically.

From there, the timeline is fully editable. AI helps you start faster, not lock you in.

🧩 Key Features

AI-powered timeline generation from text or documents

Interactive visual editor for fine-grained control

Multiple timeline elements (events, periods, milestones)

Real-time collaboration for teams

Export options including PNG, PDF, PPT, Word, and Excel

Browser-based, no installation required

It’s designed to scale from simple timelines to complex, data-rich ones.

🎯 Who is it for?

AI Timeline Maker works well for:

Developers planning roadmaps

Product and project managers

Educators and students

Researchers and writers

Indie makers documenting ideas or progress

If you work with time-based information, this tool is for you.

🛠️ Tech & Build Philosophy

The focus while building was:

Fast startup (no setup friction)

Clean UI over heavy templates

AI as an assistant, not a replacement

Export-ready visuals (not just on-screen tools)

Everything runs in the browser, making it accessible and easy to share.

🌍 Try it out

You can check it out here:
👉 https://timeline-maker.org/

I’d love to hear feedback from the dev community—especially how you currently handle timelines and roadmaps. What’s missing from the tools you use today?

PDF Translate – Free PDF Translator | pdf-translation.com

digiplan Pro — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 08:12:46 +0000

PDF Translate is a browser-based AI PDF translator designed for people who work with complex documents and need fast, reliable multilingual output. At pdf-translation.com you simply upload a PDF, choose the source and target languages, and the system generates a new PDF that mirrors the original layout while replacing the text with fluent, context-aware translations. Paragraphs, headings, tables, figures, and even mathematical formulas stay aligned so the translated file is ready to share or publish without manual re-formatting.

Online Clipboard: One Link With Everything

digiplan Pro — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 14:31:09 +0000

Online Clipboard is a lightweight web tool that turns anything you want to share—text, images, or files—into a single link that works everywhere. When a comment box is too small, when a site blocks attachments, or when you simply want to avoid long back-and-forth messages, you can package all the context into one place and post just the link. The recipient clicks once to view or download. No account is required.

What it does best is simple: it removes friction from sharing complete information. Paste a long note or code snippet, drag in screenshots or PDFs, or drop a ZIP with logs and examples. Click one button to generate a short URL and, if you want, a QR code. Share that link in any website’s comment section, issue tracker, help-desk ticket, forum reply, or chat. It is especially helpful when you need to add extra context under a blog post or video, or when you are filing a bug and want to include reproduction steps, environment details, and screenshots without cluttering the thread.

Online Clipboard — Share full context with a single link (works in any comment box)

digiplan Pro — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 08:43:02 +0000

TL;DR: Paste text, screenshots, or files to onlinclipboard.com, get one short link (or QR), and drop it into any website’s comment box. The reader clicks once to see everything—no login required.

URL: https://onlinclipboard.com/

Tags: productivity, devtools, collaboration, web, side-project

Why this exists

Comment boxes are tiny. They strip formatting, block attachments, and punish long code or logs. I wanted a super-light way to share complete context without asking people to sign up or download an app.

How it works (3 steps)

Paste your content at onlinclipboard.com (text, code, screenshots, or drag-and-drop files).

Generate link (optionally also a QR code).

Post the link in any site’s comment box. Done—anyone can view or download.

Tip: If a site is picky about links, use the short link or drop the QR image.

What you can share

Long text, checklists, and formatted notes

Code snippets or patch notes that would otherwise wrap badly

Multiple screenshots (error + repro + result)

Logs, CSVs, PDFs, zips—anything you’d normally have to attach

Handy options

Expiry — auto-delete after a time window

Access code — lightweight passcode for private shares

QR code — handy for mobile or offline contexts

Popular use cases (developer edition)

Bug reports in comments: repro steps, environment info, logs, and screenshots in one place

Follow-ups under blog posts/videos: add resources, sample files, or code you couldn’t fit

Support threads: give the maintainer a single link with everything needed

Cross-device handoff: copy on phone, open on laptop (or vice versa)

Build-less manga scanlation workflow: vertical OCR, translation, and layout-preserving typesetting in the browser

digiplan Pro — Fri, 10 Oct 2025 14:38:03 +0000

TL;DR
I’ve been translating and typesetting manga for years. The most painful parts are vertical OCR, ruby/furigana cleanup, line breaks, and replacing text without breaking the layout. I put my process into a browser tool called AI Manga Translation so others can reuse it—free tier included. This post documents the workflow and gotchas, not a sales pitch.

Why this workflow?

Most general OCR/translation tools are trained on documents, not comics. Speech bubbles, SFX, vertical text, and tight panels make common pipelines fragile. The workflow below focuses on keeping the original page look while cutting repetitive steps.

What you’ll get:

Reliable OCR for vertical/horizontal text (ruby/furigana aware)

Batch chapters instead of page-by-page clicking

Layout-preserving typesetting (text written back into bubbles/captions)

A review screen to fix line breaks/spacing before export

Fully browser-based (no install), works on any OS

Site: https://aimangatranslate.com

Support/feedback: support@aimangatranslate.com

The 10-minute chapter workflow

Prepare pages

Export or scan pages to PNG/JPG.

Keep resolution ≥ 2000px height when possible; it helps OCR accuracy.

Upload

Drop a full folder or multiple files. The tool keeps order automatically.

Language & direction

Select source/target (e.g., JA → EN or JA → ZH).

Enable vertical text if your pages use tate-chu-yoko conventions.

Batch run

Kick off chapter-wide processing. OCR + translation happen per page.

Review

Fix line breaks, ruby/furigana, and spacing.

Edge cases: stacked bubbles, long ellipses, tight SFX.

Export

Download clean pages with the translated text already typeset.

Optional: final polish in your editor of choice.

That’s it. No local installs, fonts, or heavy templates to maintain.

What makes this different from “generic OCR + paste”?

Vertical awareness: Handles vertical lines, punctuation rotation, and small ruby.

Layout-preserving write-back: Translated text is placed back into existing bubbles/captions rather than exported as plain text.

Batch chapters: Queues a whole folder, making longer projects feasible.

Human-in-the-loop: A review UI exists because edge cases always happen.

Tips for better results

Fonts & tone: Even with auto-typesetting, matching tone matters. Pair the exports with a clean sans (or your team’s style guide) if you do final polish.

Long SFX: Decide early whether to translate, annotate, or leave stylistic SFX untouched. Consistency beats perfection.

Hyphenation: Manga bubbles are narrow—prefer short sentences; avoid widowed words.

Quality check: Have a second person skim the review exports—two minutes can catch most spacing or bubble overflow.

Common edge cases (and fixes)

Ruby overlaps with main text → Nudge spacing in the review screen or split lines.

Tiny bubbles → Shorten phrasing; English tends to expand from Japanese.

Dense panel captions → Consider a two-pass approach: translate first, then do a manual wording pass for clarity.

Privacy & rights

Always translate within your rights: author permission, licensed projects, or fair-use contexts where applicable.

Files are processed only for your tasks; there’s no public sharing. If you need stricter guarantees, reach out (contact below).

Pricing

Freemium: Try core features for free (good for testing or short projects).

Pro: Raises limits and speeds up queues for heavy workloads.

Current plans are listed on the site; if you’re a community group or classroom, email us.

Mini FAQ

Q: Is this an “AI image generator”?
A: No. It’s OCR + translation + auto-typesetting that outputs finished page images while preserving layout.

Q: Can it do SFX?
A: It recognizes mixed layouts; whether to translate SFX is your call. Many teams prefer annotations for stylistic SFX.

Q: Does it replace human editors?
A: No. It reduces repetitive steps so editors can focus on phrasing, tone, and consistency.

Q: Can I use it for languages other than EN?
A: Yes—multiple target languages are supported and expanding.

What I’m working on next

Team roles and shared queues

Faster review actions for long chapters

API hooks for studio pipelines

If you have ideas—or run into edge cases I missed—please ping me.
Site: https://aimangatranslate.com
• Email: support@aimangatranslate.com

Optional cover image idea

A simple “before vs. after” page: left = original Japanese vertical text; right = typeset translation with layout preserved. Add four small labels on top: Vertical/Horizontal OCR · Batch Chapters · Layout-Preserving Typesetting · Review → Export.