In Lightroom you can restrict your crops to be a specific aspect ratio, such as 5×7, 8×10, or the same aspect ratio as your original. To do so, select the crop tool from the toolbar (R), click on the double up/down arrow next to the padlock to reveal the aspect menu, and choose your desired proportions. If what you want isn’t listed, choose Enter Custom…, and specify. Selecting “Original” will constrain any crop you do to the same proportions as the original.
Now you can drag inward the edges or corners of the crop frame to adjust your crop. To move your crop, click in the center of the crop frame and drag the image to reposition within the frame.
Let’s say you have a horizontal image, and you want 4×5 proportions … but you want a vertical crop (5×4). The method of dragging in from the edges of the image doesn’t allow you to switch from horizontal to vertical. You could create a custom setting 5×4. But there is an easier way: click on the crop frame tool, click in your image and drag to draw out a vertical frame. Then fine tune the size by dragging the edges and repositioning as necessary.
To go back to unrestricted cropping, click on the padlock to unlock it.
Note that cropping this way doesn’t determine how big your image will be, just the proportion of width to height. How big it is will be determined by what size you set in the Export or Print Dialog.
To go back to unrestricted cropping, click on the padlock to unlock it.
Thanks to a student from Thursday night for suggesting this topic!
Hi! I’ve been using CS4 for a couple years but am new to Lightroom and I had a question about cropping. I like to crop all my images at a 11×15 ratio, so I made a custom just like you explained here. But then for each new photo I bring up, it always switches back to the “original” ratio. How do I make it stay on my custom ratio?
I would love some help! I’ve been scouring the web for an answer to this one! :)
Hi Cynthi, I don’t know a direct way to do this. You could turn on auto sync, select all the photos, crop all at once to 11×15, and then turn off auto sync, leave the crop tool open, and go through each photo to reposition the crop.
Here’s an article on Auto Sync, in case you’re not familiar with it.
Here’s a technique that involves a) selecting a crop aspect ratio (e.g., 5×7), b) never closing the crop tool, and c) the magic Shift-A command. Here’s how in detail:
In the Develop Module, select the first image and then the crop tool. In the crop tool, select your aspect ratio. Resize and reposition the crop as needed.
DO NOT CLOSE THE CROP TOOL but advance to the next image to be cropped and IMMEDIATELY click Shift-A = “Crop to Same Aspect Ratio.” The previously selected aspect ratio will be restored but not the custom size or position of the crop. You’ll have to resize and reposition the crop for each image. You can, of course, use the “x” command while the crop tool is active to swap the orientation of the crop.
When done cropping all your images, you can, of course, close the crop tool.
Here’s another method:
In the Library Module Grid View, select all images you want cropped to the same aspect ratio. In the Quick Develop Panel (right side of Lib. Module), locate “Crop Ratio” and select the desired ratio. All images will be cropped to the selected aspect ratio. Now, go to the Develop module and individually adjust size/position of each image’s crop. You can leave the crop tool selected while moving between images.
Thanks, Sam! If you don’t mind, I’ll do a blog post/short video on this and credit you. Do you want me to link to your website or photography elsewhere?
OK, Trying to get this aspect ratio under control.
I was very happy to see that this feature was added to Lightroom in version 5.
I have just upgraded to 5.2
So when I get down to the crop menu box, it has several of the most common ratios in a check box list, but on my version the last item “enter custom” is not displayed.
Dave
I’m not seeing this myself, David. I would suggest posting at http://forums.adobe.com/community/lightroom