How can I crop outside an image once inserted onto another canvas in Photoshop?

[coffee_king]

Hi
So I have an image which I have moved onto another canvas
I of course know how to transform an image, but how can I crop the image Ive just moved?
So lets say I have a photo of a man that is too big for the new canvas. OK I can use transform to resize it (holding down shift to keep it the same constraints), but then lets say he is still too tall. I dont want to stretch it down in size as he'd look like a midget, so I decide I only want to use the torso and head.

I would have thought I would have used the marquee tool to draw around it,
Select>Inverse>Delete key

and this would delete whats outside the marquee box (his legs etc). But that doesnt work.
Crop is of course of of the question as it then crops everything on the canvas.

Yes, I COULD resize it completely first, but I'd rather resize/crop it once its on the new canvas.
any ideas?
I hope you understand this.

Thanks

 

[dv8_fx]

If I got you correctly -

Just resize the picture and position it in your canvas. No need to worry about the excess that's outside the image document bounds - it won't print or show.

 

[Stric9]

Use a layer mask to hide what you don't want to be seen.

 

[coffee_king]

If I got you correctly -

Just resize the picture and position it in your canvas. No need to worry about the excess that's outside the image document bounds - it won't print or show.

The problem is that it needs to sit in a certain position in the page with other images and text nearby.
Its not on its own.

 

[dv8_fx]

I don't quite get you. Is it possible you could post your image (flattened or psd) so we can see what you mean.

 

[SCTRWD]

I used to do it simply and ugly:

Select All. Copy. Make new layer. Paste. Delete old layer.

 

[coffee_king]

Please see below image example.
I need the image (the face part) to fit where the grey box is at the size it is.
Anything outside the grey box (her hand on her head etc) I dont want in the image. So outside the inner rectangle it would then be the background colour.
Like I said before I would have thought I would have selected the layer used the marquee tool to draw around it,
Select>Inverse>Delete key

and this would delete whats outside the marquee box (her hand, chin, part of arm, background of THAT image etc). But that doesnt work.
Crop is of course of of the question as it then crops everything on the canvas.

I hope this helps.

 

[Stric9]

Hold down the alt key and click between the layers.

 

[coffee_king]

Hold down the alt key and click between the layers.

Hi
I'm not sure what you mean?

 

[costisefu]

I am not sure I understand you either, so maybe my answer is wrong.
I suggest making a mask on that layer exactly the size you need to be visible. Unlock the mask and resize the picture as you like.

 

[Jessicayla]

You're saying the marquee tool and then selecting inverse and deleting didn't work? It's supposed to work.. I just did it in Photoshop and it worked for me. Hmm.

If anything, go ahead and crop the image where you need it, copy that, and then undo your crop and paste what you copied. Then you can delete the other layer and have your new cropped version to replace it.

 

[coffee_king]

So are we saying there is NO WAY of "Cropping" an image once you've moved it into a new canvas?
You have to use masks etc?

 

[peta62]

Hello,
I would do it with the mask too, it seems to me A simple, B reversible. Just a question to understand you better, why do you prefer crop rather than mask ?
Best regards,
Peter

 

[coffee_king]

Hello,
I would do it with the mask too, it seems to me A simple, B reversible. Just a question to understand you better, why do you prefer crop rather than mask ?
Best regards,
Peter

Hi
Its because I really dont know much about Masks at all.
Even though Ive been using Photoshop for many years I've always used the destructive method instead.
Can anyone suggest a decent tutorial to watch to get up to speed on Masks please?

 

[costisefu]

you don't need a tutorial for something so simple
- just make a selection, choose the layer you want to cover, and in the layer window click the "Add layer mask" icon:

- when you create the mask it is linked to the layer, meaning that it will be resized or moved together with the layer. so you can link or unlink the mask if you need;

- click on the layer if you want to modify the layer or click the mask if you want to modify the mask;

- the mask can be painted with white or black to reveal or hide more. also with all shades of gray; can be also painted with the eraser.

 

[dv8_fx]

Hope these are useful...

Tutorial: Introduction to Layer Masks Photoshop CS
Adobe Photoshop CS5 * Mask layers with clipping masks
Photoshop Tutorials for Working with Masks and Making Selections

 

[peta62]

you don't need a tutorial for something so simple
- just make a selection, choose the layer you want to cover, and in the layer window click the "Add layer mask" icon: View attachment 16591

- when you create the mask it is linked to the layer, meaning that it will be resized or moved together with the layer. so you can link or unlink the mask if you need;

- click on the layer if you want to modify the layer or click the mask if you want to modify the mask;

- the mask can be painted with white or black to reveal or hide more. also with all shades of gray; can be also painted with the eraser.

Hi,
I am sorry but I do not think so. Yes, maybe for this trivial crop this would do, but I think it is beneficial for him to learn more in order to use it more and better.
Best regards,
Peter

 

[coffee_king]

you don't need a tutorial for something so simple
- just make a selection, choose the layer you want to cover, and in the layer window click the "Add layer mask" icon: View attachment 16591

- when you create the mask it is linked to the layer, meaning that it will be resized or moved together with the layer. so you can link or unlink the mask if you need;

- click on the layer if you want to modify the layer or click the mask if you want to modify the mask;

- the mask can be painted with white or black to reveal or hide more. also with all shades of gray; can be also painted with the eraser.

Hi
Thanks for that, Ive just had a quick try but it seems to be cutting the image that is behind the mask.
As in if I move the image layer around (not the mask) it retains the shape of the mask and I cant see the rest of the image.

Imagine your looking through a telescope, the mask is the blackness, but when I move my head around I can still see the world, it hasnt just cropped the world into a round shape by looking into the telescope.
Sorry, this is kind of hard to explain.

What Im trying to do is position a photo (say 800 x 600) into a square area 300x300 but I dont know what part of the photo I want to show yet.
So I want the mask to mask everything else apart from the 300x300 square shape, but I still want to be able to position the image around at my my leisure behind it (without having to paint in black white etc)
Is this possible?
Thanks

 

[dv8_fx]

I've forgotten about this so I had to reread . I'll use your image to Illustrate...

Is this an approximate of what you are trying to achieve?

 

[coffee_king]

I've forgotten about this so I had to reread . I'll use your image to Illustrate...

Is this an approximate of what you are trying to achieve?

View attachment 16592

OK, lets work on that then.
The image of Lady Gaga (God know why I chose that as an example) is a photo of her entire body, even though currently we can only see her face. After doing what you have done above, I still want to be able to move the image of Lady Gaga around to reposition it exactly how I want. Lets say I wanted to see her legs instead of her face.
Currently using the mask method above it is cropping it to the image of her face, when I move the image of her around there is only the rectangle image of her face to choose from, her legs have been removed.
I hope you understand?