Home > Processing Photos > Basic Editing > Cropping
Cropping
Crop to eliminate unwanted or distracting portions of the edges of a photo or to visually focus in on the main subject. Before printing a photo, crop it to fit the paper size or a picture frame you plan to use.* Always work on a copy of an original before editing.
Cropping an image
- Open a photo in the editing program.
- Select the cropping tool. Some programs allow you to select aspect ratios for standard print sizes.
- Position the tool in a top area of your image where you want to crop to begin. Next drag the tool until you outline the desired area.
- To crop the image, click OK or on the crop tool icon. Select undo if you are not satisfied with your selection.
- If working from a copy, save the image in file format you desire and give the file a new name. If by chance you edited an original, use the save as command and give the file a different name. Renaming prevents overwriting of the original.
Aspect ratios for popular print sizes
| Standard size | Aspect ratio |
| 3.5 x 5" or 4 x 6" | 2:3 |
| 5 x 7" | 5:7 |
| 8 x 10" | 5:4 |
* Some printer drivers have a tool to crop images just prior to printing.
 |  |
