How crop image to fit paper size

BT
Posted By
Bill Todd
Sep 26, 2003
Views
757
Replies
7
Status
Closed
Using PhotoShop Elements 1.0. I have an image that I want to print on both 4 x 6 and 8 x 10 paper. I assume that to get the image to fit the paper I have to crop it to fit the different aspect ratios but how? When I use the cropping tool there is no way to see the size of the cropped image in pixels as I adjust the size let alone set the size to a precise value.

Here is an example. I have an image that is 1965 x 1470. To print on 4 x 6 paper I need to crop the top of the image to reduce the height from 1470 to 1310. How can I do this.

Thanks,

Bill
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Richard Coencas
Sep 26, 2003
Bill,

On the options bar when the crop tool is selected you can fill in a width and height. If you put a number followed by px it will be in pixels instead of inches. You can also set a resolution to crop too and it will resample upon cropping.

Alternately you can use a rectangular marquee and in the options bar under the Style dropdown pick fixed size. Again fill in the numbers in either pixels (px) or inches (in), and make your selection. Then go to Image>Crop.

Rich
CS
Chuck Snyder
Sep 26, 2003
Bill, here’s my favorite way to do that:

Instead of the Crop tool, go to the Rectangular Marquee tool. On its toolbar, go to the Style box and select the option Constrained aspect ratio. Then put in the numbers 4 and 6. When you then drag open a rectangle over your image, it will be in the exact ratio of 4 by 6. Once you’ve got the part of the image you want to print selected, go to Image<Crop. Your image will be in the perfect proportions for a 4×6. Now, to get it ready for printing, go to Image<Resize<Image Size. Uncheck the box for Resample (you don’t want to do that) and then put either 4 inches or 6 inches in the appropriate box under Document Size; the other will automatically go to 6 or
4. Hit OK, and you should be ready to print.

There are some other ways, but this is one worth giving a shot.

By the way, you should save the resultant crop with a different name so you can go back to the original to make that 8×10 in the same fashion..

Chuck
DT
David Thompson
Sep 26, 2003
To begin, Don’t use the Crop Tool. Choose the Marquee (M) tool and set the style to "fixed aspect ratio". Choose the appropriate ratio and select the part of the original photo that you want to print.
Then:
Edit>copy
File>New
Edit>Paste
Layer>Flatten
File>Save As…
Image>Resize>Image Size:uncheck "resize", check "Constrain proportion" and
set either width or height to desired print size. Check the resolution >150 ppi for minimum acceptable "photographic" resolution.
File>Save
File>Print…

"Bill Todd" wrote in message
Using PhotoShop Elements 1.0. I have an image that I want to print on both 4 x 6 and 8 x 10 paper. I assume that to get the image to fit the paper I have to crop it to fit the different aspect ratios but how? When I use the cropping tool there is no way to see the size of the cropped image in pixels as I adjust the size let alone set the size to a precise value.

Here is an example. I have an image that is 1965 x 1470. To print on 4 x 6 paper I need to crop the top of the image to reduce the height from 1470 to 1310. How can I do this.

Thanks,

Bill
BT
Bill Todd
Sep 28, 2003
Thanks. Also, I finally figured out how to size and position the image in the print preview dialog which is another quick and easy solution.

Bill
BB
Betsy Burch
Sep 29, 2003
Bill,
Would you be willing to list the steps you use to size and position the image in the print preview dialogue box? I can’t seem to do that consistently! Thanks for your help.
Betsy
P
Phosphor
Sep 29, 2003
Betsy, what part of it is giving you trouble? You actually have two choices for how it’s done.

The first one is to type in the new height for your picture in the top box. The width will be automatically determined by the aspect ratio of the image that’s open.

The second one would be the drag/pull method. When your image is displayed in Print Preview, you’ll see a tiny box at the lower right corner of the image. Simply put your cursor in that box and either drag (to enlarge) or push (to reduce) the size.

I’d also like to point out that this is an effective way of doing a quick resize, but please remember that you have to stay within range of acceptable ppi in order to get a nice print. Making the photo smaller should reliably produce a good result if your image already contains enough pixels, but trying to enlarge an image without much resolution might not get you a print you’re happy with. Adobe has also added a warning to that effect at the top of the resizing box, saying that scaling above 100% could effect print quality.
BB
Burch, Betsy
Sep 29, 2003
Thanks, Beth – I will try this – it sounds logical – but I am so new to PE2 that everything is an experiment! When I asked the feathering question, it actually was about the process in Photoshop, not Printshop – I just wanted to do the feathering in Photoshop and didn’t realize at that point that I could do my notecards without ever leaving Photoshop! This is not an easy program for an amatuer! Thanks again for your suggestions!
Betsy

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