Cropping

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. Click on your image once and drag the mouse out to make a cropping border (See Fig. 1)

                                                      Fig. 1. Cropping border
     4. Resize the border by dragging the squares at the sides and corners till you are satisfied with the way    your image looks.

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 (Fig. 2). Drag the arrows in the directions you wish to rotate your selection.

                                               Fig. 2. Rotating the cropping border 


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


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 (Fig. 3). 

                                                    Fig. 3. Crop Tool Options bar 
     4.  Click in your image and drag the cropping border. Notice that the border is con strained -you cannot  make it wider or longer than the specified values (Figure 4). 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.

         
                                         Fig. 4. 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 steps below:

1. Open the image you wish to crop. 
2. Select the Rectangular Marquee Tool from the Toolbox (see Selection Tools).
3. Click in your image and drag the mouse to draw a marquee around the area you wish to crop (Figure 5).