How to crop an image. How to crop an image in Photoshop for different purposes? How can cropping be confirmed

In this article, we will look at how you can easily crop a photo to the size you need. We will be dealing with image resizing. Consider how to get photos standard size: 5 by 7, 8 by 10, or 11 by 14 without distortion or making everything appear long and thin or flattened and thick.

Here is an example of the problem. I get many of my photos from my Canon Digital Rebel XT which is 8 megapixels. Here is a photo I took of it last winter:

original photo

Now, let's say I want to print photos in 8x10 format. Since the photo was taken with an 8 megapixel camera, it shouldn't be a problem to print an 8x10 photo in professional quality. Let's look at the length and width of this image in pixels so we can calculate what its total size is.

I open the " Image size by selecting it from the Image menu. If we look at the " Dimensions in pixels” at the top of the window, we can see that my photo, as I dropped it from the camera, is 3456 pixels wide and 2304 pixels high:

Photoshop's Image Size dialog box showing photo dimensions in pixels

The pixel size can give us information about how many pixels our image consists of, but it has nothing to do with the size of the image when printed. To view or resize a photo on a print, we must refer to the " Document size».

The document length and width currently listed indicate that at 240 pixels per inch, which is the standard resolution for professional quality print, my photo will be printed in 14.4 by 9.6 inches. It's a decent size photo, of course, but most likely I won't be able to find a paper size that matches those dimensions.

Let's see what happens if I use the " Image size» try to change the print size of the photo to 8 by 10. As a rule, this is the format we use when printing. Since my photo is in landscape orientation ( those. width is greater than height), I actually want to get a 10 by 8 photo.

So I change the width value in the " Document size» by 10 inches. I want to make sure that when resizing, the aspect ratio of the image will not be distorted. So I choose the option " keep proportions» at the bottom of the dialog box. Here I changed the width value to 10 inches:

Change the print size of an image in the Document Size section

After I changed the width of my photos to 10 inches, since the option " keep proportions” was turned on, we can see in the figure that Photoshop itself changed the height of my photos to ... 6.667 inches? It is not right. We need 10 by 8, not 10 by 6.667. Hmm... I guess I just need to change the height to 8 inches:

Change image height in Manual Document Size section

Well done. I changed the height of the photo to 8 inches, and now in the " Document size» I see that my photo is… 12 by 8?! Hey what's going on? All I want to do is change the print size from 10 to 8. But if I change the width value, then the height doesn't fit me, and if I change the height, the width is wrong! How do I resize a photo to 10 by 8?

Answer: No. At least through the window Image size". The original dimensions of the photo will not allow you to change it to 10 by 8 without distorting the image. So what are we to do? Everything is simple! We forget about the dialog box " Image size».

Instead, we'll crop the photo to whatever size we want! We use Photoshop's Crop Tool to do this!

Step 1: Select the Crop Tool

The first thing to do is select "Crop" in the toolbar or press the letter C on the keyboard:

Selecting the Crop Tool

Step 2: Enter the exact print sizes you need in the Options Bar

If you look at the options bar at the top of the screen, then with the Crop tool selected, you will see the Width and Height option. Here you can enter the exact width and height you need.

As well as units of measurement ( inches, centimeters, pixels, etc.). Since I want to crop my image to 10 by 8, I enter 10 in the width field followed by "in" which means "inches". After that, I enter 8 in the height field, and then "in" again:

Entering Exact Width and Height Values ​​in the Options Bar

Step 3: Drag the crop box

Once you have entered the exact dimensions, simply click inside the image and set the crop box. The area of ​​the photo inside the frame will remain, and everything else, which is now slightly darkened, will be cropped. You'll notice that when you stretch the borders of the frame, the sides change proportionally, since we've set the exact parameters.

The only thing we can do is adjust the overall size of the border with the same aspect ratio. To do this, pull on one of the corners of the frame. You can also move the crop box within the image. To do this, move the cursor inside the frame ( it will take the form of a black arrow), and then click and, while holding down the mouse button, drag the frame:

Move the crop frame with the Crop tool

Step 4: Press Enter / Return to Crop Image

Once you've set the size and position of the crop box to your liking, just press Enter ( Win) / Return ( Mac) to crop the image.

Good day to you, dear visitors of my blog. Has it ever happened to you that you are taking pictures, and then BAM ... and some alien element got into the frame, such as a man, woman or child running past, and even looked into the frame as if it was necessary. I personally have had such cases more than once. I still thought: “Here is a scoundrel! Where did you come from here?

It also happens that the photo turned out to be crooked and then you have to cunningly squeeze out to make the photo straighter. But I will show you how to make this process easier. You will learn how to crop any image in Photoshop. This will help us tool "Frame".

With the framework we can:

• Straighten a crooked (skewed) image
• Crop unwanted objects
• Cut out only the desired fragment from the image (ideal for avatars)
• And much more.

So, you are ready. Well then, let's see how to use this tool.

Trimming extra objects

Well, let's start with cutting. In the photo you can see how some guy got into the frame from the side, although it was clearly not planned to put him here. This is where cropping will help us, i.e. frame (Pan Crop).

By the way, this photo can be cropped not only from the left side, but also from the upper left corner. To do this, hover over the upper left corner of the photo until a double diagonal arrow appears. And again, holding down the left mouse button, drag down and to the left until the unnecessary space is covered with dark. This will cut not only this weirdo, but also the top piece (if necessary).

In general, the point is that from which side you need to cut the object, pull from that side. The tool is just wonderful for such things.

Photo alignment

As I said above, we can not only cut extra objects, but also straighten crooked photos. Let's look at an example. Let's say we have a photo that is tilted.

The only negative with this method is that a small part of the photo is cropped. Those. To achieve evenness of the photo, you need to crop a little around the edges. Something like this. But as a rule, this can be sacrificed. For example, in our case, for sure. Well, did it work with this method? Very well.

Cutting a fragment

Another good area of ​​application for this tool is cutting out a fragment of an image. For example, I constantly use such a chip to create avatars for contacts, mail, forums, etc. A very useful thing.

Let's say you have a photo where there are a lot of unwanted objects and for the avatar you want to cut out only yourself.

Like this. Everything seems to be explained clearly, but if there are any questions or misunderstandings, then do not be shy and ask.

Also, if you notice, then when cropping, the photo (image) is divided into 9 parts, i.e. it is separated by 3 vertical and 3 horizontal lines. This effect is called "Rule of Thirds". This rule implies conditional division of the image by three horizontal and three vertical lines. And it is believed that the best attention is focused not in the center, but at the intersection of these lines.

Many photographers and artists use these rules. So if you want to follow this rule of thirds, then you can shift the image so that the key object is at the intersection of the lines.

Crop with aspect ratio

Well, let me tell you about a little chip. By default, framing is free-floating. Those. it all depends on how you move the mouse up and down and left and right. It turns out an arbitrary aspect ratio.

But you can set this ratio yourself. To do this, in frame mode, go to the tool's properties. There you will see 2 cells with arrows between them. This is where you can set the ratio. For example, if you write 2 in the left cell and 1 in the right cell, then the process will proceed evenly and cropping horizontally will always be twice as much as vertically.

You can also set the ratio from the list of templates. To do this, simply open the drop-down list in the properties of the Frame tool. If you choose 1:1, then the selection will be even and square, if 16:9, then, as you understand, everything in this ratio will be cropped. Hope you get the point? I think yes.

You can learn more about the frame tool, as well as all other tools, in this excellent video course. With it, any beginner can master Photoshop in 1-2 weeks, if you devote an hour a day. The lessons are simply magnificent, they look excited. In general, I highly recommend you.

Well, on this I finish our today's lesson and I really hope that you liked it. Do not forget to subscribe to updates of my blog articles, then you will be the first to know about everything interesting. See you in the next lessons. Bye Bye!

Sincerely, Dmitry Kostin.

Using this tool is quite simple. In newer versions of Photoshop, cropping borders are automatically set at the edges of the image when you select Frames. The cropping area can be edited by dragging the frame using the handles located at the corners and in the center of each side. As soon as you release the mouse button, the areas that need to be cropped will turn dark.

To move the crop frame while creating it, press and hold the Spacebar. When it's in the right place, release the Spacebar and continue drawing the frame. You can expand it by moving the mouse pointer past the outer border. In this case, the cursor will take the form of a double-headed arrow. Click on the image and move the mouse pointer. The frame will rotate in the specified direction.

Once you have defined the crop boundaries, press Enter. The outer edges of the picture will be removed. If you're cropping an image that has multiple layers, you can have Photoshop simply hide the cropped portions instead of deleting them. To do this, in the Options panel, set the Clipping switch to Hide. Now you can return the cropped area using the "Image" - "Show All" command.

If you want to crop an image to a specific size, enter the Width and Height values ​​in the Options panel. You can also keep the aspect ratio of the original image or set specific aspect ratios.

How to straighten a photo

If the horizon in the picture is littered, you can straighten it out using the Perspective Crop tool. It is located under the same button as the "Frame" and is also called using the C hotkey. To switch between tools, use the Shift + C combination.

Create a crop box around the element you want to straighten and drag the corner handles so that they are parallel to the lines of the image. Press Enter. This method works well for architectural shots, but don't use it for framing photographs of people or animals. The tool distorts the proportions and living beings will look like in a distorted mirror.

You can use the Ruler tool to straighten your photo. It is hidden in the Eyedropper Toolkit and is called up with the hot key I. Place the cursor at the point where the measurement should start and draw a line through the area to be aligned. In the Options bar, click the Straighten button. The photo will be straightened and cropped.

Framing principles

Poor cropping can ruin even a good shot. When cropping a photo, try not to place the subject in the geometric center of the picture - this technique is only suitable for depicting static monumental objects. Don't leave too much space at the top of the photo - the photo will look empty. If you want to show the subject in close-up, then as a result of cropping it should take up 70-80% of the picture.

If the photo shows a moving object, it should not rest against the edges of the picture. Leave more space in the direction of travel. It is better to place it on the right side of the photo. In this case, the view of the viewer and the object seem to be moving towards each other. If necessary, you can rotate the image using the "Edit" - "Transform" - "Rotate Horizontally" command.

Photos of roads, rivers, fences will look more dynamic if these objects are placed diagonally across the image. At the same time, the composition, directed from the upper right corner of the picture to the lower left, looks calmer.

"Golden Ratio" and "Rule of Thirds"

To create a harmonious image, professional artists use the principle of the "Golden Ratio". It is noticed that regardless of the image format, the four points of the composition always attract the viewer. They are at a distance of 3/8 and 5/8 from the corresponding edges of the plane. The main objects should be located near these points.

The Rule of Thirds is a simplified version of the Golden Ratio. When applied, the image is visually divided into three parts horizontally and vertically. In this case, the horizon should coincide with one of the horizontal lines, and the main subjects of the survey are located near the intersection points.

In the latest version of Photoshop CC, the Frame tool has gained another handy feature. When cropping, the program automatically shows a grid that allows you to divide the image into parts. At the same time, in the Options panel, you can choose between several types of grid: Rule of Thirds, Grid, Diagonal, Triangle, Golden Ratio, Golden

In a few lessons, I'll show you the simplest techniques for working with Photoshop. Preparation of photographs for printing, for placement on the Internet. These lessons show the most necessary steps, without which it is simply impossible to prepare a good photo. The tools that I show are in all versions of Photoshop. If you don't have the same version as mine, some of the tools may be in a different place, but they are!

Lesson #1

Attention! Always make, just in case, a copy of the photo and then "mock" it already! Because the original may come in handy when you are not satisfied with the result of your experiments.

Now open a copy of the photo in Photoshop. Press the button " crop"(1) or "Crop" if you have non-Russian Photoshop.

At the top of the properties panel, set the desired width and height of the image. Since we are preparing a picture for posting on the Internet, in order to maintain the proportions of the monitor screen, we will set, for example, the width to 1024 pixels and the height to 768 pixels.

In principle, here you can set any size. Simply, if you want the photo to be used as desktop wallpaper, then set it to 1920x1080, 1024x768, 1280x1024, 800x600.
If the photo does not "pull" on the wallpaper, or there are several photos on the page, then they need to be made smaller in size, otherwise site visitors may not wait for such a heavy page to load and go to another site.

By the way, I am often asked how to make an avatar for a forum. And you do the same! Usually the maximum size of an avatar is 90x90. Therefore, set Width to 90 pixels, Height to 90 pixels.

After pressing the "Crop" button, the cursor took the form of the "Crop" icon. Now, by pressing the left mouse button in the upper left corner of the photo, drag the cursor down and to the right. In this case, the frame will stretch behind it. Release the button and the frame will freeze in place. But you can stretch - squeeze it by the corners, take it with the cursor and drag the entire frame from place to place. At the same time, it will strictly observe the proportion you set, so you will not be able to flatten the photo. In any case, the size you set will be saved!

By the way, if you are not going to observe the proportion of the photo size, then leave the "width" and "height" fields empty. In this case, by dragging the frame with the cursor by the sides, you can make it wide or narrow, high or low. In short, the photo will be a non-standard size.

As a result of experiments, you will achieve a result when there is nothing superfluous left in the frame, and the future cropping area is darkened.

Now press the right mouse button while holding the cursor on the photo. A context menu will appear with the words "crop" and "cancel" Press the menu item "crop" and you have an improved quality photo!

Note: Now you can proceed to the step of saving the photo. In the future, when you gain experience, you can do all the steps to improve the photo (next pages of the book) and only then save it.

Cropping is one of the most basic edits ever made in a program. Bad cropping (or no cropping) can ruin an image, while good cropping can make it ten times better by cutting out useless or distracting material.

There is a reason why professional photos look so good. In addition to being shot on high-quality cameras and retouched after processing, they are also very high-quality compositional.

Cropping means removing distracting elements of an image by cutting off unwanted parts at the edges. It highlights the object, draws the viewer's eye to it.

Let's learn a few basic principles.

Once you understand the rule of thirds, a compositional principle used by photography and videography professionals, you will find it in almost every image you see. Its meaning lies in dividing each frame into nine equal parts using an imaginary field for playing tic-tac-toe.

Please note that the main parts of the wolf's body are located strictly in their square: ears, eyes, jaw. Majority digital cameras allow you to display such a grid on the camera display, helping you create a frame. To figure out how to enable it, you may need to delve into the camera's menus or read the instruction manual.

Along with applying the rule of thirds, pros often crop images in the most unexpected ways. This is another way to increase the visual interest of the shot to grab the attention of the viewer.

This is especially important when you're dealing with very small images, such as in a thumbnail gallery or on a website where multiple images are vying to grab attention. In such small images, you can not see a lot of details (or not see them at all); and if there are people in the photo, you can immediately stop trying to identify them. Here are some tips for creating really eye-catching tiny images:

• Instead of zooming out on the original, focus on one element of the image. It is often not necessary to include the entire subject for people to understand what it is.
• Sharpen again after resizing. Even if you have sharpened the original (increased the focus by digital means), go for it and sharpen it up again after resizing using the Unsharp Mask filter.
• To add elegance to your miniature, give it a y or .

Now that you've mastered a few basic principles, you're ready to explore the many framing methods Photoshop provides, starting with the most common ones.

Crop and hide

Photoshop usually removes the outer edges. They disappear forever. But if you're cropping a file with multiple layers, or a single-layer file with a loose background layer, you can leave the cropped material in place, making it easy to bring it back in case you change your mind.

To do this, go to the options panel and set the radio button Cropped Area into position Hide. The program will hide the clipping area outside the document window instead of deleting it. Thus, even if you don't see it on the screen, it will still be part of your file.

If you need to return the cropped area, select the menu command Image - Show All to resize the canvas to show everything beyond the edge of the document (cropped portions in this case). If you want to return only part of the clipped area, press the V key to select and drag the image back into view.

Note

Modes Delete And Hide become available after you draw the frame, and they are active only when the file does not contain a pinned background layer, or if you cut off a multi-layered file (the rest of the time they are grayed out).

Crop with perspective

If you shot an image at an angle and then find that you need to straighten it, you can crop the image and change its perspective at the same time.

Note

The program will not allow you to crop the image with perspective when the switch is set to Hide. In this case, set the switch clipped into position Delete and then check the boxPerspective.

To frame with perspective, first draw a box around the object you want to straighten (it doesn't have to be exactly aligned with the object, but you do need to capture the entire object).

Next check the box in the Options Bar, and then drag the corner handles so that the frame lines are parallel to or overlaying the angled image lines. If done properly, the cropped image will look straight and beautiful. However, be careful: this tool distorts images, and as a result, living creatures may look like you photographed their reflection in a distorted mirror.

Crop to a specific size

Sometimes you need to crop accurately, like when you crop a photo to fit it into a 4x6 frame. In this case, you can use the options to enter the width, height, and resolution values ​​of the final image to limit the crop to a specific size.

Note

As with most dialog boxes and panels, any changes made in the Options Bar are saved until changed again. So the next time you crop an image to a certain size, don't forget to click Delete/Clear (Clear) to clear the size fields. Then your crop boxes will not be limited to the last used size values.

To enter custom sizes, enter values ​​in the fields Width And Height. Alternatively, you can choose from the list of typical sizes provided in the drop-down list. If you plan to print the final result, you will also need to enter a resolution; if not, you can leave this field blank.

Note

When entering custom sizes, be sure to include units of measurement such as pixels or inches. Otherwise, Photoshop will assume that you mean the unit of measurement specified in the settings, and this may not be exactly what you need.

Now that you've drawn the frame, it's constrained by the proportions (ratio between width and height) of the dimensions you entered. After accepting the crop, the area inside the frame will perfectly match the dimensions entered.

Crop with selection tools

You can also crop the image within the selected area. This technique is useful if you have created a selection and then need to crop the image to approximately the same size. This method is best suited (although other selection tools work too). After creating , select the menu command Image - Crop.

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