Techie Experts help - Cropping

Screwball · Post by **Screwball** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 1:09 pm

This question is difficult to explain exactly what I want (and probably difficult to understand also) - I'll try.
I have many images of various dimensions, both portrait and landscape. What I want to achieve is to have a set 'capture frame' size that is perfect for viewing on TV which I can can hover over a graphic image and click to capture the cropped image the size of my frame.
My method at the moment is to:-
Shrink the image to desired width then continually crop until the required height is achieved. In PSP 6 if I resize to the desired height and width it of course distorts the picture by either flattening or stretching. If I maintain aspect ratio, the result is various sized height Pictures, which I do not want.
The famous photographer Cartier Bresson once said "if it's a bad picture - youre not close enough", so the cropping will not (I hope) be detrimental. So what I am looking for is a predetermined size cropping frame, to hover over an image and always have the perfect size with no black borders on TV either top or bottom. Can I do that in PSP? If not - HOW?
I told you it was complicated!!!!

Screwball · Post by **Screwball** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 1:12 pm

Sorry - forgot to add that I only have PSP ver 6

Post by **Ron P.** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 1:48 pm

I really don't think this is possible, even if a person tried to create a script for this. Why??
1. All images would need to be the same size before cropping. If you have various size images, and your cropping frame is only 1 size, you are going to lose detail in some, while others may not be large enough to have enough detail to fill the frame.

2. All images would need to be the same orientation (portrait vs. landscape) before cropping. If you have a Portrait image that is let's say 4 wide x 8 tall, and you're cropping frame is designed for Landscape images which are wider than they are tall (8 wide x 4 tall), how on earth would that work for the Portrait image, without having black boarders, or without distorting it?

3. All images would need to be the same aspect ratio. This is basically the same as #2. You need to make some hard decisions on what you're going to sacrifice to get the image cropped or framed as you want it..

I don't have PSP6, however do have PSP9 (both not being Corel products, but the former Jasc). It certainly can not be done in PSP9....

Some things just have to been done manually, as computers are just not as intelligent as humans (I hope they never are)...

Screwball · Post by **Screwball** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 3:01 pm

Thanks for that vidoman, if you can't do it, I doubt anyone can. Back to cropping!

Tim Morrison · Post by **Tim Morrison** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 2:57 pm

I don't think that it's possible with PSP 6. With later versions you can use a crop preset that is locked to the correct aspect ratio - 4:3 or 16:9 for widescreen TV.

chrishargrave · Post by **chrishargrave** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 11:07 am

Hi Kevin

To provide a possible solution to your question have a look at http://www.leansoft.co.uk/

'Framesize' allows you set a frame size, then when you open a photo you can move the frame around &/or shrink it while maintaining the correct ratio. It is still 'cropping' but you get to choose exactly which part of the picture you want use.

I use it to get photos to fit into a 7inch digital photo frame (480 * 234 pixels)
and to fit 16.9 for use in Video Studio.(1024*576)

(I will add this to the VS forum as well)

Regards

Chris H