Cropping an image is a way to edit out edges of an image you don’t want. The resulting image will be smaller, and may have a new aspect ratio. The picture is an example of a large image that was cropped to make it smaller.

This page provides steps on how to crop an image using some popular image editors and on a smartphone or tablet. Click a link below for steps to crop an image in your preferred image editor, or on your smartphone or tablet.

If you would like to keep everything in the image but make it smaller, you’ll want to resize the image.

Microsoft Paint

  • Windows Vista, 7, 8, and 10
  • Windows XP

Windows Vista, 7, 8, and 10

  • Open the image in Microsoft Paint.

  • Click the Select tool in the toolbar at the top of the program window.

  • Microsoft Paint.

  • Adobe Photoshop.

  • IrfanView.

  • GIMP.

  • Android smartphone and tablet.

  • iPhone or iPad.

  • Select the portion of the image you want to crop using the Select tool.

  • Once selected, right-click with the mouse anywhere in the image selection and select Crop.

Windows XP

Early versions of Microsoft Paint do not have an easy-to-use crop feature like other image editors. However, with a few extra steps, Microsoft Paint users can still crop images.

  • Open the image in Microsoft Paint.
  • Click the Select tool in the toolbar at the top of the program window.
  • Select the portion of the image you want to crop using the Select tool.
  • Once selected, click Edit and then Copy.
  • Click File and click New.
  • In the new image, click Edit and click Paste.
  • Finally, save the cropped image as a new file name. If you use the same name, the original file will be overwritten.

Adobe Photoshop

  • Open the image in Adobe Photoshop.
  • Select the portion of the image you want to crop using the marquee tool.
  • Click Image in the tool bar at the top of the page.
  • From the drop-down menu that appears, select Crop.

IrfanView

  • Open the image in IrfanView.
  • Click the mouse and drag a box around the section you want to crop.
  • Click Edit, and then Crop selection.

GIMP

  • Open the image in The GIMP.
  • Use the rectangle marquee to select the portion of the image you want to crop.
  • Click Image at the top of the image tool bar.
  • Click Crop Image.

Android smartphone and tablet

  • Open the Google Photos app.
  • In the Google Photos app, find the image you want to crop and tap it to open it.
  • Tap the Edit option.
  • Tap the Crop & rotate icon.
  • Place your finger in a corner of the image and drag it up, down, left, right, or diagonally, depending on the direction you want to crop. Doing so moves the edges of the cropping tool in the direction you drag your finger.
  • After dragging the corners of the crop tool and cropping the image as desired, tap the Save option in the top-right corner. A cropped version of the original image is saved in the Google Photos app.

iPhone and iPad

  • Open the Photos app.
  • In the Photos app, find the image you want to crop and tap it to open it.
  • In the top-right corner, tap the Edit link.
  • At the bottom-left corner, next to the Cancel option, tap the Crop & Rotate icon.
  • Place your finger in a corner of the image and drag it up, down, left, right, or diagonally, depending on the direction you want to crop. Doing so moves the edges of the cropping tool in the direction you drag your finger.

Pressing C selects the crop and slice tools in Adobe Photoshop. Holding down the Shift while pressing C cycles through all options.

  • After dragging the corners of the crop tool and cropping the image as desired, tap the Done option in the bottom-right corner. A cropped version of the original image is saved in the Photos app.
  • What program can I use to view, edit, or create images?
  • How to hide or show a layer in Adobe Photoshop.
  • How to remove photo background in Photoshop?
  • How do I resize an image?
  • How do I convert a picture to JPG or another image type?
  • See the crop definition for further information and related links.
  • Image help and support.