Crop a picture to trim away outer edges that are unnecessary.
- Your Mac’s Preview app doesn’t just contain PDF-editing features.It’s a great little image editor, too. Preview offers basic tools for cropping, resizing, rotating, annotating, and otherwise tweaking images.
- Paint for Mac Pro version is the realistic digital art program that is used to edit image, vector graphic design, free-form transformation, add filters, crop, alpha channel edit and more to paint on Mac.
To remove the background of a picture, see Remove the background of a picture. To make a picture bigger or smaller, see Change the size of a picture.
In addition to basic margin-cropping, you can also crop pictures to specific shapes and aspect ratios, or crop picture fills inside a shape (in Office for Mac and in Office 2010 and later).
The Mac is still the best device for serious photo editing, so you need some serious photo editing apps to make an impact. The built-in Photos app on Mac offers several useful photo editing tools. You can crop, adjust lighting and color, set the white balance, add filters, remove unwanted blemishes, and a few more things. Snipping Tool is a nifty utility that allows you to take screenshots of any part on Windows computer screen. It offers four screenshot modes for you: Free-form snip, Rectangular snip, Window snip and Full-screen snip.
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Office can help with you with basic image editing as illustrated in the video above, but for more advanced tasks, you may need a dedicated image-editing app. Digital Trends has recommendations for free photo-editing software.
Crop the margins of a picture
Use Insert > Picture to add the image to an Office file (such as a Word document, PowerPoint presentation, or Excel workbook).
Right-click the picture. A pop-up menu appears with two buttons either immediately above or below the menu. Crop is one of the buttons.
Select the Crop button.
Black crop handles appear on the edges and corners of the picture.
Crop the image by doing one of the following:
Description
Action
Crop one side
Drag inward on the side cropping handle
Crop two adjacent sides at the same time
Drag inward on the corner cropping handle
Crop equally on two parallel sides at once
Press and hold Ctrl while dragging inward on the side cropping handle
Crop equally on all four sides at once
Press and hold Ctrl while dragging inward on any corner cropping handle
You can also outcrop, or add a margin around a picture, by dragging the cropping handles outward rather than inward.
(Optional) To reposition the crop area, either change the crop area by dragging the edges or corners of the crop rectangle, or move the picture.
When you're finished, press Esc or click anywhere outside the picture within the document.
Note: Cropping tools are not available for shapes, but in Office 2010 and later, you can resize a shape and use the Edit Points tool to achieve an effect similar to cropping or to customize the shape. See Crop to fit or fill a shape below for more information.
Crop to a specific shape
Quickly change the shape of a picture by cropping it to a specific shape. The picture is automatically trimmed to fill the geometry of the selected shape while maintaining its proportions.
If you want to crop the same picture to more than one shape, make copies of the picture and crop each to the desired shape individually.
1:16
Use Insert > Picture to add the image to an Office file (such as a Word document, PowerPoint presentation, or an Excel workbook).
Click the picture.
You may crop multiple pictures at once, but you must crop them to the same shape. (But in Word, this is difficult, because you can't multi-select pictures that have the default In Line with Text layout option.)
Click Picture Tools > Format, and in the Size group, click the arrow under Crop.
From the menu that appears, select Crop to Shape, and then click the shape you want to crop to.
The shape is immediately applied to the image.
If you want to adjust the shape, click the Crop button on the ribbon.
Black crop handles appear on the edges and corners of the picture.
Crop the image by doing one of the following:
Description
Action
Crop one side
Drag inward on the side cropping handle
Crop two adjacent sides at the same time
Drag inward on the corner cropping handle
Crop equally on two parallel sides at once
Press and hold Ctrl while dragging inward on the side cropping handle
Crop equally on all four sides at once
Press and hold Ctrl while dragging inward on any corner cropping handle
Click the Crop button again when you are done.
Other kinds of cropping
Select a heading below to open it and see the detailed instructions.
Cropping a picture to a common photo size or aspect ratio lets it easily fit into a standard picture frame. You can also use this tool to preview how a picture will fit into a specific aspect ratio before cropping.
Use Insert > Picture to add the image to an Office file (such as a Word document, PowerPoint presentation, or an Excel workbook).
Click the picture.
Click Picture Tools > Format, and in the Size group, click the arrow under Crop.
From the menu that appears, select Aspect Ratio, then click the ratio that you want.
A crop rectangle appears, showing you how the picture will appear when cropped to the selected aspect ratio.
If desired, adjust the crop area using the cropping handles as described under Crop a picture.
When you're finished, press Esc or click anywhere outside the picture within the document.
Crop to fit or fill a shape
You can add a picture as fill for a shape and then edit or crop the shape.
Add a picture to a shape
Add a shape to your document (see Add shapes for instructions) and click the shape to select it.
Click Drawing Tools > Format, and in the Shape Styles group, click Shape Fill > Picture.
Select the type of picture you want (such as From a File or Online Pictures) and then navigate to the picture you want and insert it.
Resize the shape
To change the filled shape's dimensions while maintaining its basic format, select it and drag any of the sizing handles.
Choose how the picture fits in the shape
If your picture is skewed, cut off, or doesn't fill the shape the way you want, use the Fit and Fill tools on the Crop menu for fine tuning:
Click a shape created using Shape Fill > Picture.
Click Picture Tools > Format, and in the Size group, click the arrow under Crop. A menu appears showing cropping options.
Choose Fit if you want all of the picture to fit within the shape; the original picture aspect ratio will be maintained, but you may have empty space inside your shape.
Choose Fill to have the shape fit within the bounds of the picture, cropping away everything outside the shape.
Click Fill or Fit.
Fill sets the picture size to match the shape’s height or width, whichever is greatest. This fills the shape with the picture while removing anything outside the shape's perimeter.
Fit sets the picture size so that the picture’s height and width both match the shape’s boundaries. This fits as much of the picture into the shape as possible, but some areas of the shape might remain empty.
You can drag the picture to change what part shows within the shape.
If desired, adjust the crop area using the cropping handles as described under Crop a picture.
When you're finished, press Esc or click anywhere outside the picture within the document.
Use edit points to edit or crop the shape
Although cropping tools are not available for shapes, you can use the Edit Points tool to edit a shape manually.
Select the shape that you want to edit.
Click Drawing Tools > Format, and in the Insert Shapes group, click the Edit Shape button, then click Edit Points.
Drag the shape's vertex points (which appear as black dots around the shape's perimeter) until the shape looks the way you want.
To delete a vertex point, hold Ctrl and click it. To add a vertex point, hold Ctrl while clicking anywhere on the perimeter of the shape that does not already have a vertex point.
Crop a picture without using Office
Both the Paint (in several versions of Windows) and Paint 3D (in Windows 10) apps help you crop a picture. Open your picture in the app, and you'll see a Crop button on the toolbar. See this quick video overview about some features in the Paint 3D app.
Delete cropped areas of a picture
After you crop a picture, the cropped areas remain part of the file, hidden from view. You can reduce file size by removing the cropped areas from the picture file. This also helps prevent other people from viewing the parts of the picture that you have removed.
Important: If you delete cropped areas and later change your mind, you can click the Undo button to restore them. Deletions can be undone until the file is saved.
Select the picture or pictures from which you want to delete cropped areas.
Click Picture Tools > Format, and in the Adjust group, click Compress Pictures. A dialog box appears showing compression options.
If you don't see the Picture Tools and Format tabs, make sure that you've selected a picture. You might have to double-click the picture to select it and open the Format tab. Also, if your screen size is reduced, you might only see the Compress Pictures icon.
Under Compression Options, be sure that the Delete cropped areas of pictures check box is selected.
To remove croppings for the selected picture or pictures only and not all pictures in the file, select the Apply only to this picture check box.
Select a Resolution option, if desired.
Click OK.
Tip: For more information about reducing the file size of pictures and compressing pictures, see Reduce the file size of a picture.
See Also
- Which version of Office for Mac are you using?
Crop the margins of a picture
Use Insert > Picture to add the image to an Office file (such as a Word document, PowerPoint presentation, or Excel workbook).
With the picture selected, on the Picture Format tab, select Crop.
Black crop handles appear on the edges and corners of the picture.
Crop the image by doing one of the following:
Description
Action
Crop one side
Drag the center cropping handle on that side inward.
Crop two adjacent sides at the same time
Press and hold the Shift+Option keys while you drag the center cropping handle on either side inward.
Crop equally on all four sides at once
Press and hold the Shift+Option keys while you drag a corner cropping handle inward.
Click away from the picture to see the cropped image.
Note: After you crop a picture, the cropped parts remain as part of the picture file. To permanently remove the cropped portion and reduce your picture size, see the section further down the page named 'Delete cropped areas of a picture.'
Crop to a specific shape
Quickly change the shape of a picture by cropping it to a specific shape. The picture is automatically trimmed to fill the geometry of the selected shape while maintaining its proportions.
If you want to crop the same picture to more than one shape, make copies of the picture and crop each to the desired shape individually.
Use Insert > Picture to add the image to an Office file (such as a Word document, PowerPoint presentation, or an Excel workbook).
In your file, select the picture that you want to crop.
On the Picture Format tab, click the arrow next to Crop.
(If you don't see the Picture Format tab, make sure that you've selected a picture (not a shape).)
Point to Crop to Shape and then select the shape you want to crop to.
The shape is immediately applied to the image.
If you want to adjust the shape, click the Crop button again on the ribbon.
Black crop handles appear on the edges and corners of the picture.
Crop the image by doing one of the following:
Description
Action
Crop one side
Drag the center cropping handle on that side inward.
Crop two adjacent sides at the same time
Press and hold the Shift+Option keys while you drag the center cropping handle on either side inward.
Crop equally on all four sides at once
Press and hold the Shift+Option keys while you drag a corner cropping handle inward.
Other kinds of cropping
Select a heading below to open it and see the detailed instructions.
Crop to fit or fill a shape
After you have added a picture to a shape, you can choose how the picture fits in the shape by using the Fit and Fill tools for fine tuning:
Choose Fill to remove (or 'crop') part of the picture, but still fill the entire shape.
Choose Fit if you want all of the picture to fit within the shape. The original picture aspect ratio is maintained, but you may have empty space inside your shape.
In your file, select the picture that you want within the shape.
On the Picture Format tab, click the arrow next to Crop.
If you don't see the Picture Format tab, make sure that you've selected a picture (and not a shape).
Click Fill or Fit, and then click outside the picture.
Delete cropped areas of a picture
Even after you crop parts of a picture, the cropped parts remain as part of the picture file. You can reduce the file size by removing the croppings from the picture file. This also helps prevent other people from viewing the parts of the picture that you have removed.
Important: Deleting cropped areas of a picture can't be undone. Therefore, you should only do this after you are sure that you have made all the crops and changes that you want.
Click the picture or pictures from which you want to delete cropped areas.
On the Picture Format tab, click Compress Pictures .
(If you don't see the Picture Format tab, make sure that you've selected a picture.)
Select the Delete cropped areas of pictures check box.
To remove croppings for the selected picture or pictures only and not all of the pictures in the file, select Selected pictures only.
See Also
Crop the margins of a picture
In your file, select the picture that you want to crop.
With the picture selected, on the Format Picture tab, select Crop.
Black crop handles appear on the edges and corners of the picture.
Drag the cropping handles as needed to trim the margins of the picture, and then click outside the picture.
You can position the crop by moving either the crop area (by dragging the edges of the crop rectangle), or the picture.
After you crop a picture, the cropped parts remain as part of the picture file. To permanently remove the cropped portion and reduce your picture size, see Delete cropped areas of a picture.
Crop to a specific shape
A quick way to change the shape of a picture is to crop it to a specific shape. When you crop to a specific shape, the picture is automatically trimmed to fill the geometry of the shape. The proportions of the picture are maintained.
In your file, select the picture that you want to crop to a specific shape.
Click the Format Picture tab.
(If you don't see the Format Picture tab, make sure that you've selected a picture (and not a shape).)
Under Adjust, click the arrow next to Crop, point to Mask to Shape, point to a type of shape, and then click the shape that you want to crop the picture to.
The shape is immediately applied to the image.
If you want to adjust the shape, click the Crop button again on the ribbon.
Black crop handles appear on the edges and corners of the picture.
Drag the cropping handles as needed to trim the margins of the picture, and then click outside the picture.
When you are finished, click outside the picture.
Other kinds of cropping
Select a heading below to open it and see the detailed instructions.
Crop to fit or fill a shape
After you hae added a picture to a shape, you can choose how the picture fits in the shape by using the Crop to Fit and Crop to Fill tools for fine tuning:
Choose Crop to Fill to remove (or 'crop') part of the picture, but still fill the entire shape.
Choose Crop to Fit if you want all of the picture to fit within the shape. The original picture aspect ratio is maintained, but you may have empty space inside your shape.
Click the picture that you want within the shape.
Click the Format Picture tab.
(If you don't see the Format Picture tab, make sure that you've selected your picture.)
Under Adjust, click the arrow next to Crop, click Crop to Fill or Crop to Fit, and then click outside the picture.
When you are finished, press ESC.
Delete cropped areas of a picture
Even after you crop parts of a picture, the cropped parts remain as part of the picture file. You can reduce the file size by removing the croppings from the picture file. This also helps prevent other people from viewing the parts of the picture that you have removed.
Important: Deleting cropped areas of a picture can't be undone. Therefore, you should only do this after you are sure that you have made all the crops and changes that you want.
Click the picture or pictures from which you want to delete cropped areas.
Click the Format Picture tab.
(If you don't see the Format Picture tab, make sure that you've selected your picture.)
Under Adjust, click Compress, and then select the Remove cropped picture regions check box.
See Also
Crop a picture
On your slide, right-click the picture, and then select Crop.
Place your cursor on one of the black cropping handles that appear on the edges of the picture.
When you place your cursor on the black cropping handles, your cursor will look something like the following:
Corner cropping handle:
Side cropping handle:
To crop each side, drag the black cropping handle inward.
When you are finished cropping, press Esc or click away from the picture.
Or, in OneNote for the web, select Crop to complete the cropping process.
Note: After you crop a picture, the cropped parts remain as part of the picture file. To permanently remove the cropped portion and reduce your picture size, open the file in your desktop app, and see Delete cropped areas of a picture.
Your Mac’s Preview app doesn’t just contain PDF-editing features. It’s a great little image editor, too. Preview offers basic tools for cropping, resizing, rotating, annotating, and otherwise tweaking images.
Just as QuickTime will never replace iMovie in spite of all its useful media editing features, Preview will never replace Photoshop or even iPhoto. But, for some quick and basic image editing, Preview is surprisingly useful.
Get an Image Into Preview
RELATED:Use Your Mac’s Preview App to Merge, Split, Mark Up, and Sign PDFs
Getting an image into Preview is easy. By default, you can simply double-click an image file and it will open in Preview. If you’ve changed your image file associations, you can Command-click or right-click on an image file, point to Open With, and select Preview.
You can also open the Preview app from the Applications folder, Launchpad, or by pressing Command + Space to open Spotlight Search and searching for Preview. From Preview, you can open the image file directly. Or, with Preview open, you can click File > New From Clipboard to import an image file from your clipboard. You can then edit the image and get it back onto your clipboard by clicking Edit > Copy.
If you’d like to take a screenshot and edit it, you can press Command+Shift+3 to snap a screenshot of your entire screen, Command+Shift+4 to snap a screenshot of a selectable area, or Command+Shift+5 to snap a screenshot of only the current window. The screenshot will be saved as a .png file on your desktop, and you can open it in Preview to begin editing it. (Or, you can hold Ctrl as you take a screenshot — Command+Ctrl+Shift+3, for example. Your Mac will save the screenshot to your clipboard, and you can import it into Preview with the File > New From Clipboard option.)
Rotate an Image
Rotating an image is simple. Simply click the rotate button on the toolbar near the top-right of the window one or more times. You can also click the Edit menu and click one of the Rotate or Flip options.
To save your changes, click File > Save. You can also click File > Duplicate to create a duplicate copy and save the edited image as a new file, keeping the original image before the edits were made.
To undo any changes, click the Edit menu and select Undo. To revert to the original image file before you began editing it, click the File menu, point to Revert To, and select the original image version.
Crop an Image
Cropping an image is also simple. Preview uses the rectangular selection by default, so you should just be able to start clicking and dragging. Click the Tools menu and select Rectangular Selection if this isn’t working as expected.
Click and drag anywhere in the image to select a rectangular section of the image. Click Tools > Crop afterward and preview will crop the selection, cutting out everything else in the image. As with any edit, click File > Save to save your changes.
Resize an Image
Select Tools > Adjust Size to bring up the Resize dialog, which will allow you to resize the image. It supports many measurement units, including pixels. By default, it will resize the image proportionally, maintaining the original aspect ratio to ensure the resized image doesn’t look stretched or smooshed.
Image-resizing tools like this one are useful for shrinking images so they don’t take up as much visible area or on-disk space. They’re not ideal for enlarging an image as the blown-up image will be lower-quality — for this reason, enlarging an image is almost never a good idea.
Annotate an Image
Preview includes various image mark-up tools — the same ones that work in PDFs — which you can access by clicking the Show Markup Toolbar button near the top-right corner of the window. You can also click the Tools menu, point to Annotate, and select one of these tools in the menu.
Select a tool and it will replace the default “rectangular selection” tool. You can then click somewhere in the image to add text, draw a line, highlight an area, create a shape, or insert an arrow — whichever tool you’ve selected.
Adjust Color or Gamma
Free Photo Cropping Tool For Mac
RELATED:Use Your Mac’s QuickTime App to Edit Video and Audio Files
The built-in Preview application also has a tool for adjusting the color levels or gamma of an image. Click Tools > Adjust Color to access it. Use the options on the pane that appears to adjust various color settings. The pane includes an overall color level graph you can modify as well as sliders for adjusting exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, saturation, temperature, tint, sepia, and sharpness. It’s useful for everything from fixing the color levels of an image to applying that old-timey sepia filter Instagram made trendy.
It doesn’t matter if you’re not sure what the options do — the image will update in the background as you adjust these sliders, so you can see a preview of your color adjustments in real time. You can figure out what the options do by playing with them.
Preview is a surprisingly powerful app. Not only can it view just a single image file at a time, it can view multiple images at a time and quickly cycle between them, producing a sort of slideshow. To do this, select multiple images in the Finder by holding the Shift key and clicking each. Next, Command-click or right-click on the images and open them in Preview. Preview will open with a sidebar showing a list of thumbnails for all the images you opened. Cycle between them using the arrow keys or by clicking the thumbnail images to quickly view all of them.
Image Credit: Quentin Meulepas on Flickr
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