How to Cut a Picture in Adobe Photoshop

Framing Option

A successful photograph starts with good composition. Sometimes your framing needs tweaking. Simple changes often fix major problems. Crop or cut photographs digitally with Photoshop. Frame a group of people tighter, or eliminate part of a landscape, all without destroying your original image.

Instructions

1. Turn on your computer and scanner. Load your digital photograph on to the computer desktop. Scan the image in to your computer if your image is on paper. Scan the image at 300 DPI.

2. Open Photoshop software. Load in your image. Choose "Image" from the Menu bar. Select "Image Size" from the pull down menu.

3. Select "inches" from the "Document Size" option window. Write down the horizontal and vertical dimensions of your image. Hit "OK" to close the window.

4. Select the "Crop" tool icon from the "Tools" select window. The "Crop" icon replaces the cursor. Place the "Crop" icon onto the top left corner of where you want to cut your image.

5. Click on the image, and drag down and to the right. A rectangular, segmented perimeter forms. Click on the bottom right corner of where you want to cut your image. A segmented line defines the perimeters of your cut selection.

6. 

   Tablet and Stylus

   Place your pen or mouse on the right-side vertical line of the rectangle. A horizontal arrow icon appears. Click on the icon and pull to the right to widen the window or to the left to narrow it.

7. Your new selection is displayed against its darkened surroundings. Hit "Return" on the keyboard when you are satisfied with the new cropping. Your cut, or cropped, image is displayed.

8. 

   Cropped Image

   Choose "Image" from the Menu toolbar. Select "Image Size" from the pull down menu. Your image has smaller dimensions after the cut. Click in the "Width" window, and type in the width of your original image. Choose "Constrain Proportions" in the option window, and the image height also changes. Save the file under a new name.

Tips & Warnings

• Leave enough headroom in a portrait composition.

• Select "Bicubic Smoother" in the "Resample Image" option pull down menu when you enlarge images.

• Re-sized images will look grainy if their resolution is low. Do not blow up pictures more than is necessary.

References

• "Photoshop CS for Photography"; Tom Ang; 2005
• "Photoshop CS Users Manual"; Adobe Systems; 2007