Crop Tool in AliveColors

The Crop tool allows cutting off an image that helps to remove unwanted areas, to improve focus, or to make a square from a rectangular or contrariwise. To quickly access the tool use C.

You can also activate the Crop tool using the command Image -> Crop...

The Image -> Crop by Selection command allows you to quickly remove parts of an image surrounding the selection.

Activating the tool creates a crop frame that encloses the entire image. Select an area you want to keep by dragging the cursor while holding left mouse button.

Crop Area

If there is an active selection on the image, the crop frame automatically appears around the selection area.

You can change the size of the area by dragging the markers on the sides and angles of the bounding frame. To constrain the proportions hold down Shift. To move the frame, place the cursor inside it and drag. If you move the cursor to the center point, it turns to an arrow with a circle : in this case, only the center is movable.

To rotate the area, place the cursor outside the frame, and move it with the left mouse button. If you press Alt, the rotation angle will change in 5 degrees. The frame rotates around the transformation center.

Note: Blue markers on the bounding frame indicate where will be the top of the cropped image.

If the frame is beyond the image, the empty area will be filled with a transparent background.

The basic tool settings are shown in the Tool Options panel above the Image Window. To display the full list of parameters, press the tool icon in the Tool Options panel.

Crop Settings

The Ratio drop-down-list allows you to select the ratio to which you want to crop the picture.

If you want to crop an image by dragging the cursor over it, select the Freehand option.

If you would like your image to be cropped to a specific ratio, select the Custom option and enter the values in the Width and Height input fields.

If you want to keep the original aspect ratio fixed choose the Original option.

Other items in the list allow you to choose one of the most common aspect ratios.

Click to rotate the crop frame by 90^o.

In the Trim section, specify the crop mode:

Manual. The crop area is created using the cursor.

Trim Alpha. The crop frame is created using the alpha channel's information.

Trim Selection. The crop frame is created using the selection channel's information.

Top Left Color. Areas having the same color as the upper left pixel in the image will be placed outside the crop frame.

Bottom Right Color. Areas having the same color as the lower right pixel in the image will be placed outside the crop frame.

Trim Alpha

Top Left Color

You can select the side from where to crop the picture: Top, Bottom, Left, Right. This option is disabled for the selected Manual mode.

The tool can work in two modes:

Remove External Area. The areas outside of the bounding frame will be deleted.

Hide External Area. The areas outside of the frame will be hidden but still accessible. This mode lets you correct the cropped area later - you can move the visible part with the Move tool.

External Area. The check-box helps to better visualize areas in and outside of the crop frame. If the check-box is enabled, the outer parts are highlighted in a selected color.