How to Crop a Shaped Image in Photoshop

Do you want to learn how crop a picture into a shape in Photoshop? Photoshop is a great tool for photo editing, plus it has many features that are ideal for creating whatever you want.

One of these tools included in this program is called “custom shape tool” with which you can cut out an image in a shape. Here we will explain with examples how to make the procedure easier so that your photomontages look spectacular.

Methods for cropping an image in the shape

There are thousands of ways and methods to crop an image into a shape in Photoshop. But here are some simple examples so you can practice and become the best photo designer.

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Method 1: Crop a custom shaped image

This method is done with Photoshop Elements 11, although you can also do this with CSS5, CSS6, and CC versions. Here's how to crop a custom-shaped image.

In Photoshop Elements 11, there are 2 different possibilities, either you use the Cookie cutter tool which is used to directly cut the image with the shape, or you use the tool custom shape, which places the shape on a shape layer (separate layer).

Here we will do the 2 processes:

• Trace the shape with the cookie cutter tool
• Draw the shape with the Custom Shape tool

Example 1: I trace the shape with the cookie cutter tool:

• Step 1:: You must first open an image.
• Step 2:: Then, you need to display the panel Layers by clicking on the icon at the bottom right of the screen or by using the menu Window / Layers or F11

• Step 3:: You must duplicate the image using the menu Layer / Duplicate layer…(And validate the window that appears)
• Step 4:: take the tool Cookie cutter or press the key
• Step 5: Right click on the image and choose a shape. You can display other shapes by choosing them from the drop-down menu at the top left of this window.

• Step 6:: Trace the shape on the image. If you hold down the key Shift, preserves the proportions of the shape.

NOTE: : The shape appears surrounded by a frame, with square handles on the sides and corners. At this point, the shape is not validated, so you can still move it by placing the cursor inside it. You can resize it by grabbing it by a handle (on the side or at an angle).

• Step 7:: Once the shape is placed, validate the shape by clicking on the green icon at the bottom of the frame, or by double-clicking on the frame.
• Step 8:: You must hide the original image layer by clicking on the icon of the eye at the beginning of the line of this layer.

image

• Step 9:: If you want to save the image as it is, you must press the keys Ctrl + click on the layer thumbnail to get the selection (the shape is surrounded by dots)

• Step 10:: choose the menu Image / Crop, then deselect with the key shortcut Ctrl + D.

NOTE: : The image is cropped to the external dimensions of the selection. Then, if you save the image, a colored background (background color) will be added. So, you can choose the background color before saving, for example.

If your image is intended to be displayed on a screen or published on the Internet, you must save it through the menu File / Save for web… or by pressing the keys  Alt + Shift + Ctrl + S.

In the window it is preferable to select from the drop-down menu at the top, JPEG Superior (unless you want another format, for example .gif or .png).

Since you haven't added a background color, the color will be the foreground color, but in the window you can change it directly, using the drop-down menu Cutout, if you choose Others…, This will open the Color Picker, which allows you to choose the color.

Saved with shape

If you want, you can add a frame around the shape like this:

• Step 1:: Select the shape layer by itself and turn it back on. fondo of the layer checking the eye icon at the beginning of the line.

• Step 2:: choose the selection menu Edit / Outline…
• Step 3:: in the window choose the Thickness of the contour, the Color (by clicking on the thumbnail) and the Position, if the frame is Internal, Centro o Exterior, then validate the window on the button

NOTE: : For information, options Center and Exterior produce a small defect in the angles, then you can correct this defect manually by accurately redrawing the angles, if necessary. Then, you can save the image with the frame as is or add other effects,
For example, you can add a Gaussian blur in the background image.

• Step 1:: select the original image layer (Background)
• Step 2:: choose the menu Filter / Blur / Gaussian Blur
• Step 3: choose an important value, for example between 4 y 10 (or even more), depends on the image, then validate the window

NOTE: : Then you can also, for example, add a shadow to the shape layer like this:

• Step 1:: selects the shape layer alone.
• Step 2:: click on the icon FX Effects at the bottom of the screen, then at the top of the screen, click the tab 
• Step 3: Choose an effect from the drop-down menu, for example Drop shadow, then choose a shadow style, here Weak shadow.
  You have to double click on the effect to apply it or move the icon with the mouse cursor and drop it on the image layer.

NOTE: : Then it is possible to modify the values ​​of the Parallel Shadow, displaying the parameters window, either by clicking directly on the blue gear-shaped icon, or by going through the menu Layer / Layer Styles / Style Parameters…

In the window you can:

• modify the values Drop shadow, clicking on the small blue arrow to display the values.
• add a glow, internal or external
• add a bezel
• add a scheme

Here in this example the default values ​​of the drop shadow were modified in (7, 7, 75) by 21, 16, 90, then the window was validated.

Example 2: Draw the shape with the custom shape tool:

The difference with the tool custom shape compared to the Cookie cutter is that you place the shape you are tracing directly on a separate layer. This shape is vector, so it does not degrade if we modify it after we have drawn it (as long as it remains just vector). This is the way to crop a picture into a shape in Photoshop with the tool Personalized format:

• Step 1:: open an image.
• Step 2:: take the tool in a personalized way or U

• Step 3:: go to the panel Layers by clicking on the icon at the bottom right of the screen, or by using the menu Window / Layers or F11
• Step 4: Right click on the image and choose a shape, or display the panel Options of tools at the bottom of the screen, to access the shapes

NOTE: : You can display other shapes, using the drop-down menu.

• Step 5:: draw the shape on the image, a separate layer is automatically created in the panel

NOTE: : hover over image to enlarge

• Step 6:: take the tool MOVER o V and move the shape to place it on the image.
• Step 7:: If you want to see the image below, just scroll down. Opacity of the layer, for example here at 50%.

NOTE: : You can resize the shape using the frame controls (sides or angles) and even rotate it using the icon at the bottom center of the frame. Once the shape is positioned and sized, you need to rasterize it if you want to give it effects.

• Step 8:: Restores the layer opacity to 100%, later,
  take the tool custom shape o U and click on the button at the bottom of the screen Simplify (Rasterize the shape layer…)
  or right click on the layer, in the panel Layers and choose Simplify layer.

• Step 9:: Now to complete this form with the image,
  press the keys Ctrl + click on the shape layer thumbnail, to select it.

• Step 10:: select the entire image layer, then click Edit / Copy, after Edit / Paste, then uncheck the icon of the eye at the beginning of the shape layer to hide it.

NOTE: : Then, as for the cookie cutter, you can give this image shape a style, for example, a filter, style or  effect…

• Step 11:: Here, for example, a has been drawn custom shape, choose Flower and then Flower 23.
• Step 12:: Then apply a Filter/Warp/Glass using the Filter menu, on the Custom Shape layer, with the settings Warp 5, Smoothness 15, Frosted and Scale
• Step 13: then add a Boundary using the menu Edit / Selection Outline… de 6 pixels, Internal Color and Red # d7181f.
• Step 14: then one Inner shadow by Effects panel, then Styles, choose Inner shadow and double click on High.

Other methods to crop a shaped image in Photoshop

In this part of the guide we leave you other methods to cut out an image with a shape in Photoshop, you just have to follow these step-by-step instructions with images that will guide you on cutting shapes in Photoshop.

Before we continue, it's important to note that 3 different tools were used to cut the shapes here; the lasso tool, the pen tool and Frame toolAll of these tools work in different ways, and here you will see how each tool works to choose which one is best for your jobs.

Step by step instructions to crop an image into a shape in Photoshop

Here are the methods you can practice to crop a picture into a shape in Photoshop, just follow each step by step.

Method 1: Crea a new layer to crop an image into a shape

• Step 1:: Once you open your Photoshop, you will need to make a new layer to work on, for that, you need to go to the left side of your Photoshop menu, select Archive and click on New.
• Step 2:: A dialog box will appear for you to edit. The sample image has a resolution of 300; the width and height ratio is set to 6 by 4 inches for a landscape view.

NOTE: : The following image sequence explains how to choose an image or picture to work on the newly created layer.

• Step 3:: On the left side of the Photoshop screen, click Archive, then click OPEN.

• Step 4:: Once you click on OPEN, you must choose any image.
• Step 5:: Click on the image, then click open. This will open the image directly in your Photoshop screen, or simply drag the image from its original location into the Photoshop screen.

Optional Method: Canvas Filling

The selected image will be the background of the artwork, so create another layer to fill it.

• Step 1:: On the right side of the Photoshop screen, click Color.
• Step 2:: Click Solid color and choose the color you want; which in this example is purple, then adjust the gradient as you like.

Method 3: Using the Lasso Tool

• Step 1:: Cut with the manual lasso tool. You will find the lasso tool on the left side of the taskbar. The lasso tool is a free-hand drawing tool for easy, hands-free use.

NOTE: : Please note that there are 3 types of lasso tools in your Photoshop toolbar; the polygonal, the free and the magnetic.

• Step 2:: For this step by step instruction, both freehand and polygonal are used. Here, a freehand lasso tool is used which is easy to draw curves to distinguish the desired shape.

• Step 3:: By outlining your desired shape on the filled layer you have a shape set, then you can cut away the top filled layer by pressing delete or backspace to expose the layer just below as seen in the image above.

Optional Method 2: Cut with the Polygonal Lasso Tool

To activate the polygonal lasso tool which is best for drawing straight lines. Follow these steps:

• Step 1:: Double click on the freehand lasso tool used earlier, a dialog box pops up for you and from there you select the tool Polygonal lasso.
• Step 2:: After selecting the tool Polygonal lasso, click on the desired shape, go back to the layer mask on the right side of the screen as seen.

• Step 3:: Click on the layer mask and the shape outlined with the tool will appear Polygonal lasso and it will be marked on the filled layer and repeat the same cutting process.

Method 4: Cutting with a pencil tool

• Step 1:: On the left side of the screen you will find the tool pencil; used to draw straight and curved lines, click on it and outline the desired shape.

• Step 2:: Once drawn, right click on the outlined pattern, to see a dialog box; proceed and click on Make selection.

• Step 3:: In the dialog box Make selection, enter the necessary details as seen in the image. Enter the pen radius as 0 and check the necessary boxes again selection and smoothing.

• Step 4:: Go back to the layer mask once again, and the selections you made will appear on it as seen in the image.

• Step 5:: You can crop the shape exposing the layer below as seen in the image or you can expose the entire layer below and leave the shape with the fill color by clicking invert with Ctrl + I.

Option 3: Cut with a marquee tool

• Step 1: To cut with the marquee tool; used to draw circle and rectangle shapes.
• Step 2:: : Scroll to the left side of the screen and choose the marquee tool, select the desired shape and place it on the filled triangle layer above the background. Here the chosen shape is a circle.

Step 3:: To use the circular marquee tool; click on the layer mask and the filled circle will be highlighted as the main image. To expose the background image, use Ctrl + I and the image below will be displayed.

Cut a shape from a shape in Adobe Photoshop

Before starting this section of the article, we would like to let you know that in this part we will work with the Ellipse tool and Custom Shape Tool, which are already considered shapes, it is just as simple to create a shape from text.

While to create a "shape" from text, all you need to do is right-click on the text layer you want to convert (in the panel Layers) and choose Convert to form.

For this part, we will initially draw a shape in the workspace in Adobe Photoshop which will be a circle. Then, we'll draw another shape on top of that. Probably something that looks like a sun.

The goal will be to overlap both shapes and then cut the sun shape out of the circle shape, so that the sun is hollow. It will be like filling in a large circle on a piece of paper with a pencil and then using an eraser to remove part of the circle so that a shape can be seen.

The benefit of doing something like this is that if you want to use a background that you'd like to be visible through the shape, it will be. As you read further down, I hope you're thinking of applications for something like what we're trying to explain.

This is what I would like the final product to look like.

Notice how the background gradient shows through the shape? We'll show you how to crop a shaped image below.

Part 1: Drawing the shapes

• Step 1:: For this example, you should start by creating a new document that is 1200×800 pixels. This document will have a light gray background, just so you can see more clearly what is going on.
• Step 2:: After creating the new document, you will create a new layer in the panel Layers and then you must go to the Ellipse Tool and click to activate that tool.

• Step 3:: After that, you need to draw a nice big circle right in the center of my document. Use the options bar at the top to change the fill color to black. This is what you'll have so far.

• Step 4: Next, you need to go back to the dashboard Layers and create a new layer. Then go back to the left toolbar and select the Custom Shape Tool.

• Step 5:: Once it is active, you must go up to the options bar and choose the shape of the Sol in the drop-down menu Shape.

• Step 6:: Making sure that the new empty layer is active in the Layers panel, you need to draw the new shape, just above the circle. Hold down the Shift to make sure it's a perfect circle.
• Step 7:: When you're done, also use the Move tool to place this new shape right in the center of the first shape. You should also make this new shape white.

NOTE: : As it stands, you should have a light grey background, then a black circle, and then a white sun on top. Now let's move on to the next section to crop a shaped image.

Part 2: Cutting the sun

Really, all you need to do is one more thing. Here comes the part where you need to cut out the sun shape from the circle shape, so that the background shows through. To do this, you'll need to use a new tool called Direct selection tool.

• Step 1:: The first thing is to go to the toolbar on the left and activate it by clicking on it.

• Step 2:: Once you have that tool active, you will need to hold down the key Alt on your keyboard and click somewhere on the sun shape to select everything. You'll see that it's selected by the blue outline and the handles.

• Step 3:: Next, you need to use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + X to cut the shape from its current location. You could also use the menu item Edit > Cut for this.

NOTE: : Once the sun shape is cut out, it will disappear and the layer in the Layers panel will also disappear.

• Step 4:: the next step will be to paste the layer on top of the circular layer. So, making sure that the circular layer is active in the Layers pane, you must use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + V, and paste it back in. Alternatively, you could have just as easily used the menu item Edit > Paste.

This is how things will look.

• Step 5:: At this point, you should start with selecting both the sun shape and the circle shape, so since only the sun shape is currently selected, you will need to hold down the Shiftand the key Alt (while the Direct selection tool is still active) and click somewhere on the circle shape. After doing this, you will notice that both shapes are outlined in blue.
• Step 6:: Finally, you need to go to the drop-down menu Route operations and choose Exclude overlapping shapes to remove the sun shape from the circle shape.

This is what's left. Exactly what you want.

NOTE: : See how you can now see the grey background through the circle shape where the sun was? To make it look better, you can add a gradient to the bottom grey layer to make it lighter. You'll need to click on the lock on the bottom layer in the Layers pane to unlock that layer first.

Here you can learn about: Photoshop: Scratch Disks Are Full

Conclusion

For newbies in the design business, crop a picture into a shape It may be a tricky move, but with the step-by-step instructions above, you can get the hang of it and prepare your cutting skills for the real job.

Now, how cool is that? And the best part is that you can apply this same concept to almost anything you'd like to do with any shape you work with. The possibilities are endless. Do you want to create a frame for a picture? Do you want to create a graphic with shapes on top of shapes? You can do anything.

We hope we have explained clearly to you how crop a picture into a shape in Adobe Photoshop. Remember that the limit is your imagination, keep practicing to become the best designer.