Photoshop Tip #11

Getting the Right Cut - Cropping to a Specific Size

This is another resizing tip. There will be times that you want to use part of a larger image, and you need your new image to be a certain size. This is a common production task if you're creating banners for web sites, or an animation, etc.

As an example, here's the original image:

Let's say you're creating a series of images that need to be the same size, 75 x 175 pixels.

1. Double-click on the selection tool, which will open the Marquee Options Palette.

2. Change the Style from Normal to Fixed Size. Enter 75 for the width and 175 pixels for the height. Now, when you click the selection tool on your image, the area within the selection (or marqueed area) will be 75 x 175 pixels. To reposition the selection without moving the image within the selection area, hold down the Ctrl and Alt keys in Photoshop 3, or in Photoshop 4 either drag or nudge the selection into position. (You can nudge the selection one pixel at a time by using the arrow keys on the keypad). When you've achieved the correct placement, select Edit/Crop.

PART II - How Big is that Selection? A Tip for Photoshop 3

Most drawing and DTP programs have guidelines and rulers that you use for measurement. Photoshop 3 doesn't exactly use guidelines, but you can use your selection tool as a measuring device. Photoshop 4 has Guidelines and Grid tools built in, so you won't need this tip for Photoshop 4.

Let's say that you need to know how many pixels are between two lines of type, or how much area the important part of an image takes up. Use the rectangular selection tool to select the area you want to measure.

Then, from the menu bar select Window/Palettes/Show Info. The last measurment on the palette will give you the dimensions of the selection you have created.