Cropping in CS2 [Archive] - Talk Photography

Clint_Black

14-06-2006, 19:31

Say I want to crop my photos in CS2 while keeping the original dimensions (aspect ratio).
Got a copy of Scott Kelby's book yesterday and his 'trick' for doing this is quite lengthy - select the whole image, transform the selection, resize the selection whilst holding down the shift key, click and drag the selection to where I want it, press enter and then crop the image to the selection.....

In my ignorance I've just been pressing the 'Front Image' button (with only 1 image open in CS2) and then cropping, seems to work fine?
Am I missing something obvious?

matty

14-06-2006, 19:37

hmm i didnt know you could do it automatically, i will await the outcome of this thread with great interest!

stepheno

15-06-2006, 06:05

No, I don't think you are missing anything. I do the same - select Front Image. I think sometimes authors make it complicated to give the impression that we need their book :naughty:

regards

GfK

15-06-2006, 06:09

Clint_Black

15-06-2006, 07:53

That's resizing, not cropping.

The section title is 'The Trick for Keeping the Same Aspect Ratio When You Crop' ?

Venomator

15-06-2006, 08:38

hmm i didnt know you could do it automatically, i will await the outcome of this thread with great interest!

Ditto ... 'cos I was playing with so-called Aspect Ratios yesterday ... but I want to do it successfully, and quickly for both re-sizing AND cropping !

GfK

15-06-2006, 08:45

Hm... just had a play - I stand corrected. Always thought that "transform selection" applied the transformation to whatever was in the selection, rather than just the selection itself.
In my ignorance I've just been pressing the 'Front Image' buttonExplain please.

Venomator

15-06-2006, 08:48

Explain please.

Glad you asked ... ! :thinking:

Clint_Black

15-06-2006, 08:57

Glad you asked ... ! :thinking:

Explain what?

GfK

15-06-2006, 09:03

Explain what?
Where this mysterious "front image" button is, and how to use it when cropping.

GfK

15-06-2006, 09:07

By the way - another way you can do this, is to select the rectangular marquee tool, set it to 'Fixed Aspect Ratio', then set either the width or height (depending on landscape or portrait) to 0.75.

Clint_Black

15-06-2006, 09:42

Where this mysterious "front image" button is, and how to use it when cropping.

It's on the crop toolbar. When you press it the crop tool locks to the aspect ratio of the image and you just crop away.
I think it's designed for cropping a second image using the same aspect ratio of an image you cropped previously using a custom aspect ratio.
I'm no Photoshop expert however.....

Venomator

15-06-2006, 10:22

It's on the crop toolbar. When you press it the crop tool locks to the aspect ratio of the image and you just crop away.
I think it's designed for cropping a second image using the same aspect ratio of an image you cropped previously using a custom aspect ratio.
I'm no Photoshop expert however.....

Well that's clear as mud ... to simple-minded me ... but thanx for trying anyway ! :amstupid:

Clint_Black

15-06-2006, 10:28

Well that's clear as mud ... to simple-minded me ... but thanx for trying anyway ! :amstupid:

Sorry, I tried. Someone else might be able to explain it better.

GfK

15-06-2006, 10:31

Oh, I see. Thx.
Well that's clear as mud ... to simple-minded me ... but thanx for trying anyway ! :amstupid:
Don't confuse the 'crop' tool with the 'rectangular marquee' tool ('crop' is the 3rd icon down, left hand column).

Venomator

15-06-2006, 10:32

Sorry, I tried. Someone else might be able to explain it better.

Nah ... just me being thick ! No need to apologise 'cos you did explain it !

I am sure I will work it out slowly ... just takes time to work through (never been much cop at puzzles !) ... :lol: