With the average person spending over 4 hours on their phone each day, there’s a good chance some of that time includes taking or checking photos. But before you start deleting photos to free up more space, it’s worth giving even the average photo another look. With a little editing, you can transform an okay picture into an excellent one.

Read on to learn how to crop images in Photoshop!

Use the Crop Tool in the Toolbar

Cropping images in Photoshop allows you to make an average composition into an artistic masterpiece. You can zoom in on faces or amp up the drama by eliminating uninteresting space in your photos. But first, you need to know where to find the right tool for the job.

The crop tool is located in the toolbar, which typically is on the left side of your workspace. The crop tool consists of two right angles that overlap. Click it once to activate it.

Reset the Crop Settings

Why do you need to do this? Someone else might have used Photoshop before you and set a fixed ratio for the height and width.

If you’re not bound to a specific ratio, you don’t want numbers entered into the height or width boxes. For instance, maybe the ratio is set to produce a square — but you want a rectangle.

You can right-click or press Control and then click to access a menu option on the crop tool button. Simply click Reset Tool to get rid of any existing crop settings.

Position the Markers in the Right Places

When it comes to Photoshop tips, a big one is to spend time considering your motivations for cropping. That means you should play around with the activated markers before committing to a new composition. Drag the markers around to preview the cropped version of your new image.

And if you want to do even more editing, use a photo background remover to eliminate distractions or boring space. For example, maybe you have a great image of your mother, but she’s in front of a drab building. You can remove it and splice in a creative new background instead!

Click Enter

To crop images in Photoshop, the last step is simple. Just click Enter and you’ll see your new image! Check it to ensure that it’s not overly pixelated — and that it looks the way you want it to.

Finally, no Photoshop guide is complete without mentioning that you can undo the steps you’ve taken. In other words, if you cropped out too much, you can backtrack. Press Command + Z on a Mac or Control + Z on a PC to get back to your original photo.

Learn How to Crop Images in Photoshop

When you know how to crop images in Photoshop, you can start crafting compelling compositions. Familiarize yourself with the toolbar so you know where to find the crop tool and adjust its settings. Then maneuver the markers and click Enter to arrive at your cropped image.

Find more Photoshop tips. Check back soon to read new articles!