Crop

If we want to remove parts of a picture, we use the “Crop” tool.
To crop a picture, we have two possibilities.
The first possibility is by means of the “Crop” tool (1).

When this tool is selected, we find 3 fill boxes, “Front Image” and “Clear” in the top options bar.

If you want to crop the image to a particular size, you give the values in the “Width” and “Height” boxes. If you want to change the values in the “Width” and “Height” in a quick way, click the button with two arrows between the boxes.

If you want to delete the values in these boxes, click the “Clear” button.

If you want to crop the image without resampling, you ensure that the text “Resolution” in the options bar is empty.

If you wish the number of pixels of an image to change based on the dimensions and resolution of another image, open the other image, select the “crop” tool and click the “Front Image” in the options bar. Then you can crop and cut it to the active image.

To crop an image, click and drag in the image with the “Crop” tool.

The dark area around the frame is cut away, the bright part (the marquee) is retained.

If you want to move the marquee, then place the cursor in the frame and drag it to the desired position.

If you wish to modify the size of the bounding box, then click and drag the pieces (handles) on the edge of the frame (1). If you want to keep the proportions, hold your Shift key down while you drag a corner handle.

If you want to rotate the marquee, position the mouse pointer outside the bounding box when the pointer becomes a curved arrow, click and drag it up or down. If you wish to change the rotate point on which the bounding box around it moves, drag the circle (2) in the middle of the marquee to the desired rotate point.

If you have you created a marquee, then you will find a modified top option bar (3).

It consists of two parts. You have the options to the left, and you have the options on the right.

On the right we find the checkbox “Shield”. If this is ticked, then you see the dark color of the unselected area. If you want to change this color, click the color picker.

If you want to change the cover of this shield, to more or less transparent, then change the value in this box.

About the box “Perspective”, we will talk about it in the next lesson.

If you want to cancel the crop, click the last button in the options bar.

If you wish to complete the crop, click the “Finish” button (4).

Now a word about the left part of the options bar.
Here we find two options, “Delete” and “Hide”.

These options are only used when we do not crop a background layer.

So, if you have only a background layer in your image, you will first make a “normal” layer.

Double-click the background layer in the “Layers” and in the dialog box that appears, click the OK button. That is all.
Now, about these options.

When you crop a photo, to cut away the excess, “Delete” is the standard procedure. But when you, however, choose the “Hide” option, it does not cut away the excess, but it hides it.

This way you can always bring a cut away part back by clicking on the “Image” button in the menu bar and selecting “Show All” in the drop-down menu.
Attention! This only works when the “perspective” is not selected in the options bar.

A second way to crop a photo, is by means of a selection.
The first thing you do is, to make a selection (1), does not matter by what tool.

In this example I choose the tool “Elliptical Marquee”.

Then click the “Image” in the menu bar and select “Crop” in the menu bar.

This will cut away everything that falls outside the selected section (2). In a rectangular shape that is.

Featured Courses

• Downloading iPad Apps
• Lesson 1: Introduction to Publisher
• Lesson 65: File Formats