I remember when I first started using Photoshop Elements (I began with PSE 7) I would crop the picture any old way, not realizing I could set the exact crop size I wanted. I am assuming that many new users out there are like I was, so I’m sharing this very basic tutorial on using the crop tool in PSE.
Please, please, please crop at the end of your edit and always save the edit (as a new file – do NOT overwrite the original) before cropping.
Just do it, you’ll thank me later.
Once you click on the crop tool in the tool bar (see below), the ‘Option Menu’ for the crop tool shows up below the main menu. Where it says ‘Aspect Ratio’ you can click and set what size image you would like to crop to.
If you would like a 5×7 picture, then choose that, as I did in the screen print below. If you want an 8×10, then choose that.
What happens if you choose the crop size you want, but it is the wrong orientation? Like you need it to be 5 inches wide by 7 inches tall (portrait), but the tool is set to 7 inches wide by 5 inches tall (landscape). All you have to do is click the arrows in between the two dimensions, as shown in screen print below.
What if you do not see the size you want, simply click on ‘No Restriction’ in the Aspect Ratio menu and then put in the dimensions you would like in the boxes beside the ‘W’ and ‘H.’
Yes, cropping in PSE is just that simple. There is MORE that I could go into here, but I am not going to right now. I want to keep it simple for those who are just starting out with PSE. I will do a more advanced cropping tutorial in the upcoming months.
Now, only because I know in my heart the questions about the rule of thirds overlay is going to come up, I will address what it is and how to get something similar in older versions of PSE.
One of the “upgrades” Photoshop Elements 10 received was the rule of thirds overlay in the crop tool (which Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom 3 both have), so that when you choose your crop on the image, you can see how the Rule of Thirds (ROT or Ro3) agrees with your crop.
If you are wondering “what the heck is rule of thirds?” pop over to Digital Photography School for a quick tutorial on it (I’ve been planning to do a composition post but just haven’t gotten to it yet).
If you have an older version of PSE, you can still see a ROT overlay, but only in the Grid view.
- On a PC, go to Edit, then Preferences, then Guides and Grids and put in the settings circled below.
- If you have a Mac, click on Photoshop Elements in top left-hand corner, then Preferences, then Guides and Grids and put in settings below.
To view the ROT grid, then go to View, Grid and you will see it. To turn it off, go back to View, then click Grid again to deactivate.
Questions for me? Leave them in the comments and I will answer back in a reply to that comment here at the blog. When I answer questions via email, other people never see the answer, or they never get answered because I’m so behind in emails. So, moving forward I will always try to answer in a blog comment reply.
To be clear – if you leave me a question, check back here for the answer (but give me a few days LOL).
Would you like to dive into PSE a little deeper? I offer video workshops which are great for those with a busy schedule, and also affordable workflow and creative actions which will help save you time when editing.
