Many beginners of Photoshop make the mistake of using the crop tool to adjust a photograph’s proportions. Unfortunately, this creates a few problems, such as altering the original photo, working with the wrong resolution, and making an exact final sized image.
Rather than utilizing the crop tool, I’ll be discussing an alternative method to crop and scale an image in today’s post.
In Photoshop, open an original image.
Under IMAGE>IMAGE SIZE (OPT, CMD, I), do not “resample.” Set the needed resolution (72 for digital, 300 for print). Notice that the pixel count remains, but the dimensions change. Determine whether the measurements are acceptable for the type of media.
In Photoshop, FILE>NEW (CMD, N). Enter the desired resolution and the exact width and height. (This file will be the finished “cropped” image.)
Go back to the original image file and “select all” (CMD, A). Then “copy” image (CMD, C).
Go back to the new file and paste (CMD, V) the original image. A new layer will appear.
If the image needs to be scaled to a different size, use the “free transform” tool (CMD, T). Remember to hold down the SHIFT key to change proportions accurately and grab a corner of the photo to enlarge or shrink. You can also use the “free transform” tool to move the image to adjust the image’s placement.
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