Cropping means removing the outer portions of your image for changing the aspect ratio or for improving the framing. Cropping is a basic image editing operation which is provided in almost all image editing software products. Cropping is also done for removing some unwanted portions from your photos. Most of us may have experience this operation while setting up a profile picture for any social media account. Whenever we thing of cropping we think of cropping images in square or rectangular shape. The crop tool provided by Photoshop will also let you crop the photo in either square or rectangular shape. Now the question arises how can we crop an image in circular shape as crop tool provided by Photoshop lefts you no other option then either to go for a square shape or a rectangle for cropping. The answer is just take yourself off from Crop tool as Photoshop also lets you crop your images by using Selection tool. You can crop the image in a circular shape by using Ellipitical Marquee Tool. IN order to crop an image in circle you need to follow these steps:
- 1st of all open your image in Photoshop through File menu or by keyboard shortcut ( By pressing Ctrl+O).
- Once the image is opened shift your concentration towards the Layers panel normally located on right side of the screen. Here you will see your image resting in background Layer. You have to covert the background layer to normal layer so that you can crop the image into circular shape.
- Click on the lock icon located on the right side of Background layer in layers panel. Photoshop will change the name of the layer from background to Layer 0.
- Click on the Selection tool, a window will appear with several options of Marquee tools.
- Click on Elliptical Marquee Tool which is nested just below Rectangular Marquee Tool.
- Once Elliptical Marquee Tool is selected you need to click on the image and than drag out an elliptical outline.
- In order to outline a perfect circle you need to press and hold Shift key while you are dragging.
- Make your your circle is large enough so that it can cover all the area which you require.
Once the area is covered release the mouse button as well as release Shift key. You have to release the mouse button first and after that release Shift key otherwise it will be back to elliptical shape.
Now the inner portion of the circle is selected and we need to select the portion outside the circle. In order to deselect the inner portion and select the outer portion you have to follow these steps:
- Go to the Select menu located in Menu Bar and click it.
- Select Inverse.
Now the selection has been inverted and outer portion is selected. All you have to do is to press Backspace button from your keyboard. This will delete the entire area outside circle. Now you have your required image cropped in circular shape. Now you don’t need selection outline so you should remove it and for that just follow these two simple steps.
- Go to Select menu and click it.
- Choose Deselect option from drop down menu.
Now you have to trim the transparent areas around your image and for that you have to follow these steps.
- Go to Image menu and click it.
- Select Trim from drop down menu.
- A Trim dialogbox will appear now select Transparent Pixels located at the top.
- Make sure that Top, Bottom, Left and Right option are selected as well.
- Click OK to close the Trim dialog box.
Now you have got what was required now you have to save your image. Normally people save the images in JPG file format but JPEG file format does not support transparency so you have to save the image in PNG file format which supports transparency. For saving your image follow these simple steps.
- Go to File Menu and click it.
- Select Save As.
- In the Save As dialog box you need to define the name of the image file as well as the format of the file.
- Set the Format to PNG.
- Choose where you need to save the file and click Save.
Now you have got an image that has been cropped in a circular shape.