How to Crop Images on Mac
Cropping images is a frequent task whether you’re editing vacation photos, creating business graphics, or designing social media posts. The macOS operating system is equipped with built-in tools that can assist you in cropping images easily, without needing any advanced image-editing skills.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll show you various ways to crop images on macOS using these handy built-in applications.
Method 1: Crop Image Using Preview
Preview is a versatile tool in macOS that can not only view images but also perform basic editing like cropping. Here’s how you can crop an image using Preview:
- Open the image you want to crop in Preview.
- Click on the selection tool in the toolbar (it looks like a dotted rectangle), then click and drag to select the area of the image you want to keep.
- Once you’re happy with your selection, click “Tools” in the menu bar and select “Crop”.
- Finally, remember to save your cropped image.
Method 2: Crop Image Using Photos
The Photos app isn’t just a place to store and organize your pictures. It also has editing features, including a crop tool. Here’s how to crop an image in Photos:
- Open Photos and select the image you want to crop.
- Click on “Edit” in the top right corner.
- Select the “Crop” tab.
- Drag the corners of the grid to adjust the crop area as desired.
- Click “Done” to save your cropped image.
Method 3: Using Screenshot Tool
The macOS screenshot tool can also double as a quick cropping tool. Here’s how:
- Press
Shift + Command + 4on your keyboard. - Click and drag to select the area of the image you want to capture.
- Release your mouse or trackpad to take the screenshot. The cropped image will be saved to your desktop by default.
Method 4: Using Third-party Applications
Third-party applications like Adobe Photoshop, GIMP, and Pixelmator also offer cropping features with more advanced options. These applications may come at a cost but offer more precise control over the cropping process and additional features like maintaining aspect ratio, presets for various social media post sizes, and more.
Cropping images on macOS is straightforward, thanks to the various built-in tools and third-party applications available.
Depending on your needs, you can select from the easy-to-use cropping feature of Preview and Photos, the speedy screenshot method, or the advanced features of professional image editing software. With these tools at your disposal, cropping images becomes a seamless and efficient task.
