Can I Crop a Perfect 8x10 automatically like in iPhoto?

[Bert Bigelow]

Dan,

Is this available in Photoshop Elements?




Not that I know of, but do you really want to turn over the crop decision to software? What part of a 4:3 ratio image do you want to crop to turn it into a 5:4 ratio? Or would you rather NOT crop and accept the white space? Are you willing to accept resampling? There are so many decisions involved in sizing an image for printing that I cannot imagine turning it over to a piece of software to make arbitrary decisions.
Just my opinion...feel free to ignore.
Bert

[Susan S.]

In Elements it's not quite as simple as pressing a button, but there is a way thatgives you more control - but as it involves automatic resizing needs to be used with some care.
Choose the crop tool, then in the toolbar at the top enter 8 and 10 inches for width and height as appropriate and the resolution that you want to use. It wll then give you a crop box in the correct ratio which you can position on your image as you wish and will also resize to the number of pixels that give you the resolution that you want. It's the last bit that can be dangerous if you aren't careful.
Susan S

[Mac McDougald]

Best not to put anything in rez dialogue box at all, IMNSHO.

This will give you 8x10 with ppi adjusting naturally, no up or down
sampling, all orig pixels.

Gives you a chance to upsample afterwards if you must try it.

Mac

[Susan S.]

That's probably right Mac (I didn't realise that ws an option!) Of course if you are cropping heavily and then want to print you need to check the resize dialogue box to see exactly what pixel dimension you have ended up with and make sure it is printable at that size.
Susan S.

[Nancy S]

Dan,

Just another option...Image>Resize>Image Size, without Resample checked (for best quality) and constrain the aspect ratio... type in either the 8 or the 10, depending on the orientation of the image, (let the other dimension fill itself in). If the resolution shown in the box is high enough for printing (>about 180 ppi), use the rectangular marquee with the setting "fixed" (where it usually says "normal" near the top of the screen). You then manually enter the 8 and 10 (or visa versa for different orientation). Click inside image. The box which appears can be dragged around to place as desired. All content within the box will be included in your image, the remainder discarded. Go to Image>Crop. A perfect 8x10.

If the resolution is too low for printing, it might appear pixelated (crummy). Your choices in this case are; upsampling (perhaps a very modest amount would be OK, but not generally recommended) in the Resize box with 'Resampling' checked OR to print the image at a smaller size. You could add an attractive border (like maybe a digital matt and frame)around the image to make it a 8x10 if the image itself doesn't have enough pixels for a quality 8x10. Using some of the Layer Styles would add dimension to the matt and frame (if you put each of them on their own layer).

Nancy

[Bert Bigelow]

Nancy,
You covered all the bases beautifully, and added a few wrinkles I hadn't thought of. Bravo!
Bert

[Nancy S]

Bert,

I thank you for the nice compliment, truly.

Nancy

[Chuck Snyder]

Bert, I agree - Nancy's method goes in my Tips file! Chuck

[Mac McDougald]

> But what is resampling, more or less?

Resampling is simply ending with fewer or more pixels than you started
with.

Downsampling, fewer pixels: ok
Upsampling, adding more pixels via interpolation: limited usefulness at
best.

Btw, Nancy, that *was*, methinks, probably the best all around way to
achieve the end result, as it shows exactly what is possible with the
original pixels all the way.

Mac

[Beth Haney]

Dan, once you've resized through Image>Resize to your 8 X 11.9 and hit OK:

Choose the Rectangular marquee tool from the tool bar, then in the Option Bar (the one just below the main menu on your screen) you'll see some additional adjustments.

Start with the box that defaults to the setting of "Normal." Click on the arrow at the right and you'll get a drop down menu showing Normal, Fixed Size, and Fixed Aspect. Select Fixed Size.

Then, moving visually one notch to the right, you'll see "width", but it defaults to a measurement in pixels. Highlight whatever is in there, and then type in an '8' (assuming this 8X10 you want is WxH.) The unit of measurement will automatically switch to inches.

Enter the height (in your case, '10') in the next box.

You'll see marching ants appear on your image outlining an area the same width as the picture but slightly shorter. Using the mouse, click and hold anywhere within the area outlined by the ants and move the selection either up or down until you've got the placement you want.

Next go to Image>Crop. You'll get a perfect 8 X 10.

[Chuck Snyder]

Another variation on Nancy's approach, which involves a little mental arithmetic but doesn't use the Image>Size>Resize dialog at the early stage:

1. For an 8 inch x 10 inch pictures that you want to have 200 ppi for printing, your image will be 1600 pixels by 2000 pixels. That's it for the math!

2. Choose the Rectangular Marquee tool, Style Fixed Size, and enter 1600 px and 2000 px as the length and width (or width and length).

3. Up will pop a fixed-size box which you can move around until you've selected the area you want to keep.

4. Go to Image>Crop

5. Now go to Image>Resize>Image Size and enter any of the dimensions: 8 inches, 10 inches or 200 ppi.

6. Hit OK and you're ready to print.

For most people, I think Nancy's method will be easier....

;-)

Chuck

[Beth Haney]

Chuck, I think you're thinking too hard!

[Chuck Snyder]

Beth - I think it's because I went back to work....

:-(

Chuck

[Bert Bigelow]

Beth and Chuck,
Chuck's method is exactly what I do! I think we must have similar brains.
Sorry, Chuck, no offense meant...:o)
Bert

[Chuck Snyder]

Bert, there's not much hope for us, is there...?!

:-)

Chuck

[Beth Haney]

Chuck and Bert: Two peas in an (engineering) pod. :)

[carl sutherland]

Beth,

Do you think in Texas that would be "Pod Podners"?

Carl

[Bert Bigelow]

Bert, there's not much hope for us, is there...?!




Chuck,
Since you posted the above at 4:27AM, I would say there is definitely no hope for YOU! <grin>
Bert

[Beth Haney]

Let's give him the benefit of the doubt - he's in a different time zone and a workin' stuff again! Now if he posts at 4:27a.m. again on Saturday, we'll know he REALLY has problems! :)

[Chuck Snyder]

Bert, I think that may have been 4:27 AM PDT, not CDT....

;-)

Chuck