Ugh... Photoshop cropping help, please!

[Kim22]

Okay, apparently I messed with a setting somewhere and didn't realize it. It's only letting me crop pictures straight up and down. I'll get the crop tool all set and get the marching ants around the part of the image that I want cropped, slightly tilted because I like different angles. I hit "crop" and it crops it in the general area that I chose, but takes away the angle, therefore not cropping where I told it to crop.

Okay, it makes sense to me, but does anyone else understand what I'm talking about? :lol: If not, I'll try another explanation... let me know.

P.S. I'm a CS2 user, if it matters.

[Kim22]

Okay, I figured out how to use print screen to show you...

Here's the one that shows what I was trying to crop...
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f268/Kim222/August%202007/trytocrop.jpg

and here's what was actually cropped...
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f268/Kim222/August%202007/cropresults.jpg

It looks like it's keeping the bottom left corner where I want it, and rotating the crop area up to a 90 degree angle, doesn't it? :mad: What setting do I need to change? There must be something!


ETA: The black is because I have "shield" checked and set at 100% black opacity, for anyone who didn't know. :D

[Kim22]

21 views and nothing? Eek! Did I stump you all? :lol: I need help!!!

[CRE@TE]

Straighten the picture first. And then click the little check mark to save the change. Then crop the photo.

[CRE@TE]

Using the free rotate option.

[Kim22]

I figured it out!!! There is a "reset tool" option. I did that and it works again! Woo hoo! Wish I would've found that about two hours ago! :rolleyes:

[Damo77]

Well done Kim! I've been one of the people viewing your post, hoping to read the answer, because it's happened to me in the past too!!

[Kim22]

Okay, looking for answers again. :( My "trick" isn't working anymore. Suggestions?

[Kim22]

Anyone? :(

[Kim22]

Another example in case the first one is confusing with the black "shield" on. ???

the crop I'm going for... (I cropped it right at the edge of her hair and along his back pocket so you could better gauge what I'm showing...)
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa128/KimYouraPhotography/My%20Stuff/printscreencrop.jpg

what it actually crops... (part of her hair gone and it's not along his pocket like it should've been)...
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa128/KimYouraPhotography/My%20Stuff/whatcrops.jpg

Is that a better example? I have to get this figured out! I can't possibly crop all of my shots perfectly straight up and down... I need some angles! :lol:

[CRE@TE]

Rotate the photo before you go to crop. Use grid to line it to your liking.

Note how I cropped your example. I rotated the canvas before cropping.

[Kim22]

Rotate the photo before you go to crop. Use grid to line it to your liking.

Note how I cropped your example. I rotated the canvas before cropping.

Thank you so much for trying to help, but I don't really understand what you're doing. :oops:

I just can't figure out what changed. I have always cropped the way I'm trying to now and it was so easy. I must've accidentally changed a setting or something and just wish I could figure out what I changed. :(

[Kim22]

Well done Kim! I've been one of the people viewing your post, hoping to read the answer, because it's happened to me in the past too!!

How did you fix it?

[Kim22]

Okay, this is driving me nuts! :cool: It's working again, after I clicked "clear" in the crop toolbox. There wasn't anything in the width, height, or resolution boxes but this worked anyway... for now... we'll see if it gets wacky again.

[Kim22]

It definitely doesn't work with anything inputed in the boxes.

[Kim22]

Last call for help, then I'll let it go... :(

[Bobster]

ok i'll do it!

ok so first we start with the photo
http://www.pbase.com/bob_hall/image/85078148.jpg

then selecting the Ruler tool (click and hold on the eyedropper and a menu will apear next to it, or press i 3 times)
http://www.pbase.com/bob_hall/image/85078149.jpg

next draw a line with the ruler tool to the desired angle you want to rotate to (i've used your previous crop angle)
http://www.pbase.com/bob_hall/image/85078150.jpg

once the line is drawn and you are happy with the angle set (you can select a different area to straighten from if you like) the length of the line drawn has no effect on the angle chosen you can draw the line as long as you like on the image.
once happy with the angle, goto the menu and select IMAGE>ROTATE CANVAS>ARBITARY...
you will see a dialogue box pop open with an angle already set (this is determined by the angle of the line you drew)
http://www.pbase.com/bob_hall/image/85078151.jpg

click OK / press enter to apply the angle to the photo
http://www.pbase.com/bob_hall/image/85078152.jpg

now select your crop tool and crop the area you want from the photo
http://www.pbase.com/bob_hall/image/85078153.jpg

and crop
http://www.pbase.com/bob_hall/image/85078279.jpg

[Damo77]

I think Kim already knows about that, Bob. She wants to know why it won't work the easy way.

Kim, I don't know how I fixed it in the past. It just fixed itself. I don't crop at angles very much ...

[Bobster]

oh right, donno then, mine crops while rotated fine, might do some experimenting

rumours about a bug with CS2 and using the crop tool to straighten an image?

[howzitboy]

nice tutorial bobster!!


i gave it a try with the crop tool and it always cropped exactly where my lines were. i tried changing everything and couldnt get it to "crop in", only on my lines. prob u got a buggy ps and maybe reinstall would fix it?