Cropped Canvas Memos
Cropped Canvas Memos
by Jen White
Use the Crop Tool to create a quick and trendy greeting for sharing with loved ones.
I love Photoshop. But, . . .
I’m NOT a fan of the Crop tool. I find it clunky and annoying.
Okay, I’m glad I got that off my chest.
That said, there is at least one super-cool use for the Crop tool that’s often overlooked.
Check out this card that I created lickety split with one of my snapshots.
If I gave you the pretty square flower photo (below), could you figure out how to create the rest of the card I made? How long do you think it would take you to make it? How many steps do you think it would take?
Here’s good news. I created this card in three simple steps, and it took me only a couple minutes to accomplish. You can do it, too! Let me show you how.
For this tutorial you will need:
- A photo, download the one I’m using HERE.
- Photoshop Elements or Adobe Photoshop
NOTE: This tutorial will work best if your image is in JPG format.
Step One: Open a Photo
- Open a photo (File > Open).
Note: Square photos (like the kind created after posting on Instagram) look best for this technique.
Step Two: Set the Background Color Chip
- Click on the Background Color Chip to open the Color Picker.
- On the document, click to sample a color from the photo. I clicked on the area indicated below by the blue circle.
Note: If you click and drag, you can see the New Color change as you move around the image.
- Click OK to close the Color Picker.
Step Three: Add Canvas with the Crop Tool
- Get the Crop tool.
- In the Tool Options, set the Preset Options to No Restrictions. (PS: Choose WxHxResolution and check Delete Cropped Pixels.)
Elements Only:
- In the Tool Options, click on the first Crop Suggestion.
- The entire image should have a bounding box around it. If it doesn’t, click and drag the side handles of the bounding box to line up with the boundaries of the image. (see below)
- In the Tool Options, set the Grid Overlay to Rule of Thirds.
- On the Image, click and drag the right bounding box handle to the right until the right vertical line of thirds is on the edge of the image. (See the image below.)
- Click the checkmark to commit.
Note: Alternatively, you can drag up, down, or to the left on the bounding box handles.
Notice how the Background Color Chip was used to extend the canvas of the photo?
Let’s take it one step further and add a note to the extra canvas.
Step Four: Add a Note
- Get the Type tool.
- In the Tool Options, set the Size to 100 pt and click on the Center Align icon.
- On the document, click to place the cursor in the top center of the extra canvas area.
- Type something (sentiment, quote, scripture, etc) and click the checkmark to commit.
- In the Tool Options, adjust the Font, Size, Leading, Color, and Alignment as you wish.
Photo: Jen White
Fonts: Aristelle Script, DJB Doodled Bits
Step Five: Save the Image for Sharing
To print the image and send it in the mail:
- Save the image (File > Save As) as a high quality JPEG image with a unique name.
To share the image via email, text or social media:
- Save the image for web (File > Save For Web) as a high quality JPEG image with a unique name.
Note: When doing this, I usually put the word “web” in the file name, so I know the image is not print quality.
- Close the original without saving.
What’s the difference between Save and Save for Web?
The images (above) are a closeup of my flower image. The two images are exactly the same except for the ppi.
Save As saves an image at 300 ppi – for printing.
—300 ppi (pixels per inch) is the minimum recommended for printed images.
—The file size (in megabytes) is controlled by the quality settings.
—The output dimensions remain the same.
Save for Web saves an image at 72 ppi – for sharing.
—It’s only meant for sharing.
—The ppi is changed to 72. This is the approximate size used in web browsers.
—The file size is much, much smaller. Think kilobytes instead of megabytes.
—The output dimensions of the image are adjustable.
Here are a few more examples of images I’ve turned into greetings.
Photo: Kaila Gustafson
Fonts: Quilline Script Thin, Amber Whiskey, Hero Light
Photo: Jen White
Fonts: Catherine, Shree Devanagari 714
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Author: Jen White | Contact Us
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Wonderful, I am going to use for Project Life. Adding my journaling. Quick & Easy! You’re the best!
Thank you for sharing this use of the crop tool. I will be using it for sure! Love all your examples – they’re inspirational.
This is such an awesome idea! So quick and handy!! 🙂
I’m missing something, Jen. User-Error as usual. I don’t seem to have a canvas left over when I crop. There’s a step I’m not doing and I can’t find it! Help!! 🙂
Hi Julie. I’m sorry you are having trouble. Try taking some time away and then starting again. This often helps me to resolve a misunderstanding I’m having. 😀
I’ve been trying again and still I’m missing some step. There’s no canvas on the right for the journaling. 🙁 You don’t have to set a canvas size do you? I use PSE 2018. TIA
Hi Julie. Please don’t give up. Email me directly with some screenshots of what you are seeing in your program and I’ll be happy to help you figure it out. jen@digitalscrapper.com
😀
I sent the email, Jen. I just can’t figure it out. Signed: DoDo Bird! 🙂
I’m so glad we got it figured out, Julie. If anyone else is still having problems, please feel free to email me directly.
Great tut. The crop tool has always been an enigma to me. Not so much how to use but whether I should. When scrapbooking, is it better to crop (or use marquee tool as I also prefer to do) or to place whole picture and then drag out to resize and clip to mask.
Hi Jo. Great question. If you are using this tutorial while scrapbooking, you will need to “crop” the photo before placing it on your scrapbook page.
Do you set the size before hand, like will the card be 4 x 6, 5 x 7, etc.?
Hi Beverly. Thanks for asking. For this tutorial, I leave the setting as unrestricted. Setting a size for the crop will change the results.
This is an awesome tutorial. I want to download the PDF but it tells me that the file is not available and that I must check back later. Please advise.
Thank you.
Thanks Laura. I’m having a little difficulty with the PDF. It should be available later today.
I’m having the same trouble as Julie. I don’t get a canvas on the right side. I’ve tried it 3 times already and not getting anywhere.
Christine
Christine, what software are you using? Are you starting with a jpg image? Could you send me a screenshot of what you are seeing?
I’m using PSE13 and am starting with the sample you provided.
I tried the tutorial using PSE13 and had good results. Can you tell me where things seems to go wrong?
I just get the cropped image no extended canvas to type a message. I’ve tried it over and over with no luck. For those that are successful can anyone show their layers. I just get the cropped background.
I finally got it too. I noticed what Julie said she did, and the light bulb went on for me too. Then I took a closer look at Jen’s diagram of moving the line of thirds and making sure my background color was the pink in the sample. Comments were helpful.
TERRIFIC! I agree. Comments from others are always helpful. 😀
Jen, what I found working with this tutorial, is that it works quite well on the Background Layer, but if you try to do it on a Copied Layer is doesn’t.
The copied layer leaves the extended crop area blank, however if you did not delete the Background Layer and only closed the eye viability, then the extended area on the background layer will show the chosen background color. At least I could not get it to work on a copy, but it did work on the original background layer.
Thank you for the insight, Dorrie. 😀
I am also unable to find canvas after I crop picture. Not sure what I am doing wrong. Using Photoshop Elements and the picture Is jpg. Have tried numerous times with same result.
Sorry you are having difficulty, Mary. You say you are not able to “find canvas” after the crop. What do you get instead?
I don’t have the option to “In the Tool Options, set the Grid Overlay to Rule of Thirds” as described in one of the steps above. I’m using PSE 15. I used the first option offered by the Crop tool and clicked. I didn’t have any canvas to add text.
One thing I have found is:
To see the Grid Overlay options, you need to have the program displayed very wide.
OK! I got it! I read the instructions for the third time and then it clicked! Great Tut!!
Another question– I used a photo from my camera and now I’m trying to print it as a 4×6 or 5×7 and these dimensions leave a white boundary on the right and left edges but not the top. I’m trying to think of a workaround. Maybe I’m doing something wrong or too picky. I’m sure using a square photo would have made it somewhat easier as you mentioned.
Hi Ruth. That’s right, if you are wanting to print the image at a specific size (without having to trim the white parts away), you will need to use a different method to get the canvas. Sorry.
One more comment: I was able to crop the project and then print as I wanted without white edges. Learned a new skill today! Thanks for sharing and allowing me to post my problems and then my solutions.
I’m thrilled you found a workaround, Ruth. Thanks for sharing so others can follow your lead. 😀
Hi Jen,
This is not working for me either. I’m using PS. On the Image, when I click and drag the right bounding box handle to the right the lines disappear and I have to guess where vertical line of one thirds is, and then when I let go the entire image is cropped to that size. I do not have a colored background. I have followed the instructions very carefully. Is there a different setting we need with the crop tool? Great tutorial…now I just need to get it to work for me lol!
Hi Renee. Which version of PS are you using?
PS CC 2018
Hi Renee. You also need to have Delete Cropped Pixels checked. Give that a try.
Great tutorial, thanks. I easily set the background color and did the crop to get the blank canvas on the right side but it’s not showing the the background color selected with the color picker. It’s just showing as transparent pixels. It’s an easy fix as I just created a blank layer under photo and filled will the color but it is an extra step and I’d love to know what I did wrong. I’m using the latest version of PS CC. Thanks!
Hi Helen. You also need to have Delete Cropped Pixels checked. Give that a try.
Thanks for the reply but no luck! I have delete cropped pixels checked and all setting match yet I get transparency on the canvas extension instead of the background color. Could it be something in my preferences?
Hi Helen. I’m not aware of any changes in preferences that would effect this simple tutorial. Most errors are resolved by going back over the instructions very carefully. If you need further assistance, please email me directly at Jen@DigitalScrapper.com
Success!!! I wish I could tell you what I did differently other than shut down and restart PS but I repeated the process successfully 3 times. Thanks for the support and the great tip.
Awesome tutorial. I didn’t get the canvas to the right the first time either but when I went back and read the tutorial again, I saw that I had chosen the foreground color chip instead of the background. Choosing the right one made a big difference. What we just learned in Jennifer’s type class will come in handy when doing this! Win/win.
This looks so fun! I’m having a bit of problem with the side canvas but will try again. what does WxHx mean?
Thank you for posting.
Hi Kathy.”W x H x Resolution” is a PS setting meaning Width x Height x Resolution.
If you have PSCC, you also need to have Delete Cropped Pixels checked. Give that a try.
Thank you, I have PSE (and love it)! I think I’ll try again in the morning.
One more try before bed and yay! it worked! Thank you! I’m going to try with some of my pictures.
YAY! I’m so glad you figured it out.
I finally figured out what I was doing wrong (with a lot of help from Jen!). I wasn’t pulling the 1/3 grid far enough to the right. I pulled until the middle vertical line was at the edge of the flower image. Then I clicked the green check mark and the color showed up! Yay!
I struggled with this then all of a sudden, a light bulb went off and I got it! Such a cool trick. I’m going to use this for our Christmas cards this year. Thank you so much Jen!!
Jen, perhaps you could have used the clone tool to eliminate the electric out let on the wall.
So happy you ARE BACK!
HA. For sure, Penny. Doing that would have made this a MUCH nicer photo, yes? 😀