batch crop -- need help

dogwood

I'm trying to batch crop some images to 500x375 @ 72 ppi. It works manually if I set the crop tool to 500x375 and looks like this:


But if I add this crop into a batch action, it turns out like this:


I know how to batch process so one side (height or width) will be 500 px... but how about forcing a crop of 500x375?

Is Lightroom my only option? Any ideas?

DoctorIt

this is just a shot in the dark... but instead of the crop tool, what if you wrote an action that would first resize the longest side to 500, then added another step using canvas size - which allows you to lock the crop to the top of the frame.

it makes sense in my head.

dogwood

DoctorIt wrote:

this is just a shot in the dark... but instead of the crop tool, what if you wrote an action that would first resize the longest side to 500, then added another step using canvas size - which allows you to lock the crop to the top of the frame.

it makes sense in my head.

Makes sense in my head too-- good idea. I'm willing to try anything (well, anything but manually cropping 200 plus images three times in a row) at this point. I'll give it a shot.

BinaryFx

dogwood wrote:

I'm willing to try anything (well, anything but manually cropping 200 plus images three times in a row) at this point. I'll give it a shot.

Dogwood, there are many ways to the same end, not all are obvious! (the 'great' thing about Photoshop)

The following two methods both presume that every image is being cropped the same amount from each edge, which is good for consistent positions such as in studio photography or screen shots - but perhaps not for other images that are variable. But since this is a batch crop request, I guess the crops must be consistent.

As suggested, one option is to record an action for later batch use, that uses the canvas size option to crop the image, one can anchor the default centre 'grid square' position to one of the other positions to specify which edge/s crop away. Multipe canvas size 'crops' may be required.

Another option is to use a dummy duped document of one of your shots, one can marquee select the crop area and save this selection as an alpha channel. An action is recorded that loads a selection off the crop files alpha channel and then the image/crop command is used (not the crop tool). This is then run in batch mode.

If there are layers in the file, and data extends beyond the canvas edges ('big data') - then you may later need compositing flexibility, so be careful with how you crop (canvas size does not clip big data, while the crop tool or command does clip big data)


Hope this helps,

Stephen Marsh.
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~binaryfx/

dogwood

Thanks for the tips. Here's what I ended up doing:

Created actions that resize using Image Size with resample not checked to create a known scale. Then used the rectangle marquee tool center the crop and to create the proper aspect ratio using image crop on the toolbar. Then, used image size again with resample checked to finally create the proper size image. It sounds simple-- and it sort of is-- but after creating six different actions for different sizes, it's all about as clear as mud. PSCS2 is a powerful program but many aspects (pun intended) are no where near intuitive or easy to figure out. Like using resizing twice to properly resize...

DoctorIt

you take the good, you take the bad

thanks for posting on your final solution, might help someone down the road.

Stustaff

Bibble would be a good solution too! set the crop once then you can paste that crop onto any other images choose the output size etc do all your colour adjustments and output them all to a set folder.