One of the most basic and common operations in image editing is cropping. It could be to adjust composition, remove parts that are unwanted, or optimize for social media and websites; it will help you present better visual effects. Actually, cropping pictures in Photoshop is not complicated; master some basic techniques and steps, and then you can easily complete the work of cropping.
This article will give an example of a step-by-step guide on cropping an image in Photoshop with a less complex method in making the crop operation faster.
Step 1: Open the image
Open Photoshop, click "File" > "Open", identify the image you wish to crop, and then click "Open."
Once it is open, you will find the whole canvas ready to crop.
Step 2: Click on Crop Tool
In Photoshop, the Crop Tool is in the toolbox and looks like either a knife or two crossed lines. You can access the Crop Tool by clicking on any of the following:
Click the Crop Tool directly from the toolbar.
You can also use the shortcut key C to crop out the Crop Tool quickly
Step 3: Set Crop Area
The moment you have chosen the Crop Tool, Photoshop will provide you with a box on your image, where you can manipulate it by dragging four sides or corner in case you need to have it larger and the same proportions as before.
Box Size: Drag the edges to change the area size of the crop. To change the ratio of the crop, if you need it for a particular reason-for example, 16:9 or 4:3, select "Ratio" in the toolbar at the top and select your ratio. Free Crop: In case you do not want to use a fixed ratio, drag the corners to freely adjust the size.
Step 4: Refine the Position of Cropping
This centers the middle point of the crop box to enable you place the crop area directly on the canvas. Simply click and drag on the center point of the crop box to change its position to ensure that the crop part that you want comes out correctly.
Step 5: Crop the picture
Once you are content with the area to be cropped, press the "Enter" key or click on the confirmation button on the toolbar, and Photoshop will automatically apply the crop and remove the rest of the portion from the image.
Step 6: Save the cropped image
Do not forget to save after cropping. Under "File", click "Save" and you can select JPEG, PNG, etc. in the format in which you wish to save your file. In order to save the original, you can choose "Save As" and save it as a new file of the cropped version.
Picture cropping - tips and precautions
- Preserve the quality: At the same time, while cropping pictures, avoid cropping content elements of the main image, especially important details. The resolution in a picture will affect cropping, so take care to maintain the right margins.
- Use the function of the cropping tool: The cropping tool in Photoshop will crop, rotate, and distort pictures. To change the orientation of the picture, click on the rotating icon in the top option bar.
- Keep the original image ratio: If you do not want to change the ratio of the image, you can click "Lock ratio" in the cropping box to keep the picture free from distortion.
- Use the cropping frame lines as guides: You can enable the "Golden Ratio", "Rule of Thirds" or "Alignment Lines" when cropping to make your adjustments with the cropping frame much more accurate and give the image a visually aesthetic composition.
Simple method: Use PictureAI online cropping tool
If you need a faster and easier way to crop pictures, try the online cropping tool provided by PictureAI. This tool is intuitive and suitable for quick image processing without tedious steps. Just upload the picture, select the cropping area and resize it, and it will be done in a few minutes.
PictureAI's crop image tool supports multiple cropping ratio options and does not require any software installation. It can easily achieve image cropping, which is especially suitable for users who need to process pictures quickly on a daily basis.
Summary
The cropping of photos in Photoshop is an easy but very effective operation. Using this capability, you will be able to better retouch the image and optimize composition with great visual effects. If you wish to carry out more efficient operations, there is another online cropping tool that's quicker-provided by PictureAI. You can simply crop the right picture by the steps and techniques I mentioned above. If you are a beginner using Photoshop, you could as well try to use it more and learn about these tools so that you will have an easier journey of editing images.
