Cropping Tutorial 1: The Crop Tool

Starting Out• This is generally how your Photoshop screen

will appear upon opening the program.

Main Toolbar

Menu Windows

Top Toolbar

Photoshop Toolbars• The Photoshop toolbar has several handy resources that are often called

upon for photo editing. Note the close-up of the crop tool. If you were to click and hold the button down, you will see there are other photo deletion tools that operate similarly to the crop.

Main Toolbar

Crop Tool Other Options

Top Toolbar

•At the top of your Photoshop window you will see a toolbar with different buttons and options. Users are given the ability to enter the desired dimensions of their photograph.

(E.G. When you know the dimensions of the photo desired.)

•Users can also alter the measurement of the photograph beside the dimension within the text box. Users are also able to alter the measurement of pixilation.

Dimension Text Boxes

Pixel Measurement

The Rule of Thirds

• The Rule of Third, which is a grid that is used when planning visual composition. The main focal point of an image should not be directly in the middle of a page.

View Grid, Rulers, and Guides• Photoshop can also render a grid in over your photo, but it will not break

your photo into thirds. To access this option: Go to View, Show, Grid. You should also select Rulers, which is located under the View drop down.

Create Columns and Rows• You should create Guides by pulling them from the rulers located on the

sides of your Photoshop window. When you are done, you should have three equal columns and three equal rows.

Preparing the Top Toolbar

• Use your mouse to select the crop tool if you have not done so already. Be sure that the amount of pixels per inch reads 300. This is the optimum number of pixels to be seen. If you are attempting to use this photo for the web, the number should read 72.

Cropping the Photo

• Click and hold your left mouse button, on the near the center-point of the top-right box of the photo. Don’t let go of your mouse. Drag your mouse over to the middle guideline in a straight movement. Continue to drag your mouse down to the bottom guide of the center box of the photo. You may now let go of your mouse. Hit the return key to finalize the crop.

Do you like your crop?• If you are unhappy with the final crop, you can always use your history

window and go backwards by selecting the edit line you wish to return to.

Congratulations!

• You have completed Tutorial One