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Photoshop - cropping

Bob

Administrator
Staff member
I really wish that cropping were a layer.
All this hide and reveal stuff seems to be a PITA.
If crop were a layer than we could do different crops in layer comps.
That would be neat.
-bob
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
Agreed, hide is a PITA. One option is to outline your intended crop with the marquis tool, mask the active area and darken the outer area to about 30% opacity. Then finish all your edits targeted at the active image then make the final crop at the end of the session. I typically just go ahead and commit to the crop early on...
 

TRSmith

Subscriber Member
One possible alternative... I've made an action that draws a black rectangle on each of the four sides of the image, each side on a separate layer. I run the action then position the rectangle on each layer to cover/crop to the area I like. It works like the blades of an enlargement easel.

Once I do that, I select the 4 crop-bar layers and hit "command-option-e" to combine them all into a new layer. Now I can turn the others off but leave them in place in case I want to adjust the crop later. Once it's final, I copy the file and use the crop tool.
 

Don Libby

Well-known member
I run hot and cold on cropping. Some images I crop first then complete the processing while on others its the next to the last thing I do. In almost every case I work on an image to a point, save then duplicate and work more, save the duplicate, finally getting to the point I know I'm finished.

Never thought of it before however I like Bob's idea of it being a layer.
 

Bob

Administrator
Staff member
I come to this where I have images with different crops for different finished print sizes, dictated more by clients than by me. I am getting a directory cluttered up with different versions of the same (large) image where simply layer comps on the original,would be adequate. If I use a white mask around the "cropped" area. PS printing still sees the white as image, and insists that I am trying to print outside the page dimensions.
Seems like a simple thing, but it is pretty annoying to me.
I already have layered adjustments for different soft proofed papers, so this would be particularly handy.
-bob
 

Don Libby

Well-known member
Agreed, as I have several images sized for different canvas sizes (adding the wrap).

Now that you have me thinking of it, it would be much better to have it all in a layer. Now you have me rethinking the process ...
Don
 
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