Cropping prblem with PS CS .....please help

[phil down]

I wonder if anyone can help me out with the simple but very annoying problem.

For some reason the crop tool in PS CS has started to crop to the aspect ration of the fixed dimensions (width, heght) which I am specifiying rather than spefic pixel sizes.

I do this daily, and somehow this morning it is not playing ball. All dimensions are in Pixels and the selected fixed size for the crop is less than the actual size of the image. For example the image has pixels of 3000 x 3000 and if I select a fixed size of 1200px x 1200px the crop tool is a square but will quite happily selct the whole image if dragged all the way.

I have tried resetting tools and all to no avail.

I know I can crop in a different way as a workaround but my workflow is used to using this method and I would rather use it if possible. I worry that I have used a short cut key by mistake or change something without realising it.

Any suggestions gladly received.

 

[NiteRider]

I wonder if anyone can help me out with the simple but very
annoying problem.

For some reason the crop tool in PS CS has started to crop to the
aspect ration of the fixed dimensions (width, heght) which I am
specifiying rather than spefic pixel sizes.

I do this daily, and somehow this morning it is not playing ball.
All dimensions are in Pixels and the selected fixed size for the
crop is less than the actual size of the image. For example the
image has pixels of 3000 x 3000 and if I select a fixed size of
1200px x 1200px the crop tool is a square but will quite happily
selct the whole image if dragged all the way.

I have tried resetting tools and all to no avail.

I know I can crop in a different way as a workaround but my
workflow is used to using this method and I would rather use it if
possible. I worry that I have used a short cut key by mistake or
change something without realising it.

Any suggestions gladly received.

I just can't be able to figure out what you try to do to give any suggesttion.

1. First, 3000 x 3000 = SQUARE

2. You changed to 1200 x 1200 = still 100% SQUARE

3. Even you change to 1 x 1 is still SQUARE

And if you want 100% ratio of the SQUARE then you will have the Width = Height = 100% SQUARE = the WHOLE IMAGE

4. Now, if you change to 1200 x 1300 then it's another story and you can't select the whole image as it's no longer square.

??????

 

[phil down]

I just can't be able to figure out what you try to do to give any suggesttion.

1. First, 3000 x 3000 = SQUARE

2. You changed to 1200 x 1200 = still 100% SQUARE

3. Even you change to 1 x 1 is still SQUARE

And if you want 100% ratio of the SQUARE then you will have the Width = Height = 100% SQUARE = the WHOLE IMAGE

4. Now, if you change to 1200 x 1300 then it's another story and you can't select the whole image as it's no longer square.

??????
Sorry am confused by what you are trying to say above.

What I am trying to do is crop a specific sized selection from an image by using the height & width boxes. What is actually happening is that teh crop tool is happy to crop to the aspect ration of these dimensions but no tto the dimensions themselves. I have been doing this for months and this morning it does not want to play ball anymore.

Hopefully someone will understand what I am saying.

 

[phil down]

What does happen though is if I set height and width to say 10px by 10px it would let me select the whole image if it was square, and then would resize the selection (whole image say) to 10 pixles by 10 pixels - almost like it is resampling in a way.

 

[NiteRider]

I still can't be able to figure out exactly what you try to archive.

Me, if the photo is 10 x 10 (or square) and I want to change to standard 4x10 or 8x10 then I just

1. Select the Crop Tool and change the Ratio to either

W [4 ] x H [6 ] or W [8 ] x H [10 ]

then drag the Croping Pointer around the spuare image to select the RATIO to select above.

2. If I do not want to use the Cropping method above, and I won't care if the photo get distortion then I can

• Select "Image" -> "Image Size"

• Uncheck the "Contrains Proportions"

• Then type in whatever xxxx you want and you will get what you ask for.

 

[frank perry]

AFAIK that is the correct function for the crop tool,if you want to crop a fixed pixel sized portion from an image use the rectagular marquee tool----set to--fixed size--width 400px---height 400px,move the selection to anywhere on the image,then---image---crop.no fear of accidental resampling.

What does happen though is if I set height and width to say 10px by
10px it would let me select the whole image if it was square, and
then would resize the selection (whole image say) to 10 pixles by
10 pixels - almost like it is resampling in a way.

--
Frank Perry

 

[phil down]

Well it is a straneg one. You have the option of entering a specific pixel size in the height and width box so in my book this must therefore be a function. I have been using it that way for sometime so I know this. I think I have changed something without knowing it. Almost like the crop tool will only work from the aspect ratio of dimensions used rather than the dimensions themselves.

 

[phil down]

I was trying to crop a selection of 2750 px v 2750 px from an image of 3000 px v 3000 px. Not sure what else I can say.

 

[Old Ashtonian]

There are---
Normal
Constrained Aspect Ratio
Fixed Size

Check which one you are using.

--
Old Ashtonian

 

[phil down]

Is this for the crop tool or for the marquee tool?
Thanks.

 

[frank perry]

I think Old Ashtonian is refering to the rect. marque tool,I only have PS7 and that does not have those options in the crop tool.I dont know what CS has. I have only ever used the rect. marque for fixed size crops.

Is this for the crop tool or for the marquee tool?
Thanks.

--
Frank Perry

 

[tarmes]

Hi,

I have the opposite problem. I used to be able to select an aspect ratio, (eg. 1x1 for a square), but now it always selects a 1x1 pixel square (which is what you want to do!)

The dpi box is empty.

There must be an option there somewhere... but where?

Tim

 

[phil down]

LOL

It is really annoying I know! I think I have changed something by mistaje with a short cut Keye but am a bit stuck.

 

[Gabbiano]

I have the same problem when I crop using Photoshop; I simply solve it checking the cropping dimensions through the info palette and forgetting the fields requiring h and w.

I'm surprised when you say that in the past it worked differently: I've never been able to crop fixing dimensions in advance!

 

[Congaragata]

Phil, I understand what you are looking for, because I had exactly the same situation as Tim a few days ago but it was only for one image. Now I'm trying to find out what I've done but it's unbelievable, I just can't figure out how I've done it, haha.

If you do figure it out, please let me know! This is definitely something I will have to add to my tutorial for the crop tool
--
Stefan
http://www.skeller.ch

 

[spizzer]

Phil,

I think I understand what you are having problems with. When you crop, there are two things going on, one is that it will crop to a specific size, AND will control your resolution to keep the dpi to what you want. Normally for printing you want 300 dpi. When I crop an image to a specific size, in inches, it keeps the proportion, but adjusts the pixel dimensions to maintain 300 dpi. SOmetimes it might upsample the resolution and others it might downsample the resolution.

See if this is causing your consternation.

spizzer

 

[phil down]

Phil, I understand what you are looking for, because I had exactly
the same situation as Tim a few days ago but it was only for one
image. Now I'm trying to find out what I've done but it's
unbelievable, I just can't figure out how I've done it, haha.

If you do figure it out, please let me know! This is definitely
something I will have to add to my tutorial for the crop tool
--
Stefan
http://www.skeller.ch

Will do.

 

[phil down]

Phil,

I think I understand what you are having problems with. When you
crop, there are two things going on, one is that it will crop to a
specific size, AND will control your resolution to keep the dpi to
what you want. Normally for printing you want 300 dpi. When I
crop an image to a specific size, in inches, it keeps the
proportion, but adjusts the pixel dimensions to maintain 300 dpi.
SOmetimes it might upsample the resolution and others it might
downsample the resolution.

See if this is causing your consternation.

spizzer

I will have a look but I am not specifying any DPI at all - I understand what you are saying though, its a mystery.

 

[NiteRider]

Well, I may be wrong and probably too wrong to understand the problem others have. But to my understanding thing works like this (at my end at least).

1. CROPPING has nothing to do with the DPI, PPI, or LPI but finding the good part of the original photo to Crop It.

2. Now, after you have the good part CROPPED, then you can change the DPI, PPI, LPI to whatever #'s you want, as it has nothing to do with the main cropping.

3. Now, if you don't mind the RATIO then you have the choice to set to whatever size you wish, and tell Photoshop to change to whatever #'s you enter. Or Photoshop will either stretch or squeeze the photo to match the #'s you enter.

IOW, there is no way to turn a SQUARE into TRIANGLE without destroying something. And if it's already square and you want to change to a BIGGER SQUARE then just give it a larger value (just make sure all sizes have the exact same value)

 

[Bluewave]

Ummm, Phil, you are using the Crop tool on the "Free Transform" setting aren't you?

If not, click the downward triangle next to the Crop icon in the top options bar. Scroll down and select free transform.

That help? If the crop tool is misbehaving while on free transform, then I'd suggest deleting your Photoshop preferences file. When you restart PS it will create a new one and you'll need to set your preferences again.