Cropping is the Basic Way to Clip a Pic Digitally

There are many ways to cut a picture. Cropping is just one of them. It is the most basic and also the best way to simply eliminate the unwanted portions.

Sometimes the simple things in life are the hardest to understand. Photo editors also go through learning the complex process of extraction or isolation just to clip a pic. Sometimes the process is time consuming also. When there is an option of getting the work done the easier way then it should be adopted. The basic method is the best and cropping is well known. Imaging programs like Illustrator and Photoshop have remedies for removing the unwanted portions. But both the programs are different and need different handling. But the result is the same.

The Illustrator is not designed to crop or    clip a pic . In this program a clipping mask is used to do it. And one will have to also remember that if the file is a raster base then the dimensions will remain the same. If there is any white space in the frame then even in the clipping mask it will show. There is a way to remove it. Use the MS paintbrush with the limitators (blue dots will show up). The image can also be rotated to remove the white space till the entire cropping is done. But if the white space has to be removed neatly another method can be used.

This method can be used for multiple clipping masks in just one single time. There is no need to make the page layout with the image for masking. Select the path of the mask and fill it with the shade of white. Use 0% opacity to get the transparency. It is flattened in the raster image while in case of a vector base 100% of the slider can be used. While doing this the preserve alpha channel is unchecked. The result will be ungrouped. The editor can now select the portions inside and outside the mask. Those, which are not required, go for a toss.

In Photoshop CS5 or CS6 the process is slightly different but gives the same results. It is a more sophisticated design. The cropping tool is more precise and ideal for vector based pictures. It helps one to focus on the part of the composition that is required. It also can straighten the picture with the help of the right dimensions. The crop tool is used to make the selection. The marquee command is used for the rule of thirds. The trim section is applied to give the end result a proper perspective. The transparent pixels are removed. This image can now also be rotated if required. An editor should understand that this is a destructive process and may modify the settings. So the rotation tool needs to be used with discretion to clip a pic.

Once the picture is clipped and cropped, do you wish to make it look different? If yes then try changing the canvas behind it. But that is an entirely different process. Now that you have learnt the simple and most basic way to clip a pic, you can also experiment with other editing processes.