Crop to a specific pixel size

Question

Level 1

4 points

Crop to a specific pixel size

All, I switched to Mac about 2.5 half years ago. Since then I have not been able to find a photo editing tool (including iPhoto and Aperture) that will easily crop a photo based on specific pixel size. The only reason I am maintaining an installation of Windows is just so I can use a free Windows application called FastStone Image Viewer which has basic editing tools that are easy to use.

Scenario:
I like to resize my photo's from my digital camera into specific aspect ratio's such as 16 x 10. The original is 3264 x 2448. I resize it down to 3200 x 2400. I would then like to crop it to 3200 x 2000 which would bring it to 16 x 10 ratio. This approach allows me to keep all of the original photo horizontally and just have to crop vertically. I've tried iPhoto's cropping, however, the pixel numbers (even when constrained) don't match to actual after cropping is done!

I am extremely frustrated after more than two years of this back and forth. Can anyone make any suggestions? I haven't been able to find anything on the internet regarding this and find it hard to believe that no one else has this problem... Help! 🙂

15 in MBP 2.4 early 09, Mac OS X (10.6.6)

Posted on Mar 8, 2011 6:16 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,254 points

Mar 9, 2011 12:58 AM in response to DanO-67

I've tried iPhoto's cropping, however, the pixel numbers (even when constrained) don't match to actual after cropping is done!

What numbers do you get? And where are you getting the alternative numbers?

Regards

TD

Reply

Answer 2

DanO-67 Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 9, 2011 7:00 AM in response to Yer_Man

before
3264 x 2448

resize in Preview to:
3200 x 2400

then crop in iPhoto '09 to
3200 x 2000
after crop drag out of iPhoto '09 to desktop

resulting size on right click/get info:
3154 x 1972

I can't crop in Preview because there is no way to just enter numbers for the crop size like there is in iPhoto. In Preview you can drag the crop "window" to the size you want but for some reason I can't get it match exactly to the whole numbers - It wants to stop on 3201 x 2001 or 3199 x 1999. So, I go to iPhoto but as you can see when I move the pic out of iPhoto I get something really weird.

Check out a couple screen video's I did to demonstrate what I am talking about...

Screen video of what I am talking about in Mac:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYIGYcC8uiw

Screen video of how easy it is in Windows:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MegMDBIe8ZA

Any ideas?

Reply

Answer 3

Mar 9, 2011 7:06 AM in response to DanO-67

Is the actual Pixel ratio important? Why re-size? iPhoto is designed so that you do not have to worry about pixels and resolution. You would crop the image to a particular ratio ant let iPhoto worry about the rest.

If you need those particular pixel dimensions for some reason, you can export the image in that reduced size.

Reply

Answer 4

DanO-67 Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 9, 2011 7:12 AM in response to Keith Barkley

I like to crop my photo's to exact 16 x 10 dimensions for my own use as desktop wall paper and I occasionally submit them to online photo websites. Several online photo sharing websites have exacting requirements to share photo's.

Reply

Answer 5

DanO-67 Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 9, 2011 7:17 AM in response to DanO-67

Also, it not just about reduced size, but also about specific dimensions that is achieved by cropping to maintain the integrity of photo so it is not "squashed."

Reply

Answer 6

Mar 9, 2011 7:25 AM in response to DanO-67

Setting the cropping box in iPhoto to 6x10 will not "squash" your image, it will simply remove the extra (full-size-maximum-resolution) pixels.

Reply

Answer 7

Mar 9, 2011 7:27 AM in response to DanO-67

Exactly, so you crop your image to 6x10, and then export it at the pixel dimensions you require.

If you then want the original image back, you simply "restore to original" and you are back to where you started without the crop.

Reply

Answer 8

DanO-67 Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 9, 2011 7:28 AM in response to Keith Barkley

Yes, but when I drag it out onto my desktop the dimensions are wrong. See my video I list in an earlier post.

Reply

Answer 9

Mar 9, 2011 7:29 AM in response to DanO-67

Which is why you need to export, not just drag it out.

Reply

Answer 10

DanO-67 Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 9, 2011 7:47 AM in response to Keith Barkley

As you see in another video I just did:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYaMO5X1sdw

16 x 10 does not show up as an option. This is why I have to crop it to 3200 pixels wide, first. Then move it into iPhoto so the width is correct. Then I do a "custom" and type in 3200 x 2000. Then I am back to my original problem.

Reply

Answer 11

Old Toad

Level 10

207,283 points

Mar 9, 2011 2:08 PM in response to DanO-67

Since 16 x 10 is not one of the standard photo sizes it won't be listed. Here's how you will need to proceed:

1 - crop the photo using the Custom option and 16 x 10 as the size ratio.
2 - export the cropped file via the File ➙ Export ➙ File Export menu option with a custom size of Max dimension = 3200.

This will result in an image file with a 3200 x 2000 pixel dimension.

Reply

Answer 12

DanO-67 Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 10, 2011 4:36 AM in response to Old Toad

Old Toad, thanks for the idea. Here is what I found to work around the limitation of iPhoto:
-Resize the photo in Preview first, so that the width of the picture is what you want.
-Then import to iPhoto.
-Click on edit, and choose crop.
-Choose "custom" and constrain, then enter the number of pixels you want to crop to with the actual width of photo as the first number. Then hit tab to the cancel button. (this is where the problem happens, as the number is correct but the "crop window" doesn't fill the photo)
-Then DO NOT complete the crop but hit cancel after having tabbed to it.
-Immediately after hitting cancel, hit the crop button again and choose "custom" & select the constrain box, this time the width of the "crop window" will be correct.
-To see step by step instructions watch this screencast: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wx3xvN4wg

Reply