Cropping

Photoshop For Beginners

Tutorials Photoshop 

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Cropping is one of the most basic editing techniques that can improve your images. Cropping helps to bring
out the most important features in your image and focus the viewers’ attention on these features. Cropping
also allows you to make your image a standard photo size. 

There are several ways to crop images in Adobe Photoshop:
                1. Cropping with the Crop Tool
                2. Cropping to a specific size
                3. Cropping with the Marquee Tool

Cropping with the Crop Tool

The Crop Tool allows you to make a precise selection of an image you wish to edit. To crop with the Crop Tool, follow these steps:
              1. Open the image you wish to crop (see Getting Started for detailed instructions). 
              2. Select the Crop Tool from the Toolbox (see Selection Tools for location and description).  
              3. It will automatically select your entire image. Drag the edges to fit the dimensions you desire.
                 (See Figure 11).

                                                       Figure 11. Cropping border

      4. Resize the border by dragging the squares at the sides and corners untill you are satisfied with the way your image looks.
      5. Once you are completely satisfied with your cropped image, press Enter. 

Note: You can also rotate your cropping border. Move the cursor outside the border, you will see how it turns into a double-headed arrow (Figure 12). Drag the arrows in the directions you wish to rotate your selection.

Figure 12. Rotating the cropping border

 Cropping to a specific size

If you wish to print your digital photos or other images on standard size photo paper, you will have to crop your images to a specific size, such as 8x10. To crop an image to a specific size, do the following:  

              1. Open the image you wish to crop.

              2. Select the Crop Tool from the Toolbox.

              3. In the Options bar, specify the values for Width and Height (Figure 13). 

Figure 13. Crop Tool Options bar

            4. Click in your image and drag the cropping border. Notice that the border is  constrained. You cannot make it wider or longer than the specified values (Figure 14). For example, if you entered 8 for Width and 10 for Height, whatever size you make the border, the area within it will fit on an 8x10 photo.   

Figure 14. Cropping to a specific size

           5. Once you are completely satisfied with your cropped image, press Enter.

Cropping with the Marquee Tool

If you are in a hurry and need just a simple crop, you can use the Marquee Tool and a menu command. To crop with the Marquee Tool, follow the stps below:  

              1. Open the image you wish to crop.

              2. Select the Rectangular  Marquee Tool from the Toolbox (see Selection Tools).

              3. Click and drag the mouse to draw a marquee around the area you wish to crop (Figure 15).

 Figure 15. Drawing a marquee

           4. In the main menu, go to Image > Crop (Figure 16). The image will be immediately cropped.

 Figure 16. Image > Crop