Can I crop a layer?

Max Moor wrote:

Hi All,
I have a CS2 project I’m doing where I’m melding a bunch of scans of a large object back into the original. I’d like to be able to crop individual layers as I’m overlaying them, but the regular crop seems to only work on the entire image.

Is there a way to crop just one layer and leave the others alone?

Select what you want to keep. Choose menu ‘Select – Inverse’. Hit the Delete key.

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Johan W. Elzenga johan<<at>>johanfoto.nl Editor / Photographer http://www.johanfoto.com

"Johan W. Elzenga" wrote in message

Max Moor wrote:

crop just one layer and leave the others alone?

Select what you want to keep. Choose menu ‘Select – Inverse’. Hit the Delete key.
—
Johan W. Elzenga johan<<at>>johanfoto.nl Editor / Photographer http://www.johanfoto.com

Thanks for this solution Johan, You have saved me many useless steps The light went on in my head and I said "Of course, DUH!"

Thanks again for the enlightenment
—
"Granny"
Old N Slow N Prefer Quick N Easy

(Johan W. Elzenga) wrote in
news:1ibws2c.5hlr5s1lnbacqN%:
Is there a way to crop just one layer and leave the others alone?

Select what you want to keep. Choose menu ‘Select – Inverse’. Hit the Delete key.

I’m with granny, Johan. It’s so simple, but just never occured to me. Duh. Thanks so much!

Regards,
Max

Johan W. Elzenga schrieb:

Is there a way to crop just one layer and leave the others alone?

Select what you want to keep. Choose menu ‘Select – Inverse’. Hit the Delete key.

But this doensn’t crop off-workarea-parts of the layer. How can I crop them?

Regards,

Alex

      Is there a way to crop just one layer and leave the others alone?

Select what you want to keep. Choose menu ‘Select – Inverse’. Hit the Delete key.

But this doensn’t crop off-workarea-parts of the layer. How can I crop them?

Rather than do a destructive delete, explore Layer Masks. They allow you to ‘bring back’ bits you decide might be worth keeping after all, and also allow you to fade the transition. A *far better* option, because you don’t need to chew back through your History to undo accidental deletions.

Teknofile (NZ) wrote:

Select what you want to keep. Choose menu ‘Select – Inverse’. Hit the Delete key.

But this doensn’t crop off-workarea-parts of the layer. How can I crop them?

Rather than do a destructive delete, explore Layer Masks. They allow you to ‘bring back’ bits you decide might be worth keeping after all, and also allow you to fade the transition. A *far better* option, because you don’t need to chew back through your History to undo accidental deletions.

I agree that a mask is better if you are not sure if you would ever want to undo the crop. The suggestion that you cannot fade the transition if you delete an inverted selection is wrong, however. Of course you can, because you can feather the selection before you hit the delete key.

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Johan W. Elzenga johan<<at>>johanfoto.nl Editor / Photographer http://www.johanfoto.com

I agree that a mask is better if you are not sure if you would ever want to undo the crop. The suggestion that you cannot fade the transition if you delete an inverted selection is wrong, however. Of course you can, because you can feather the selection before you hit the delete key.

A very valid point, and of course you are right… I did not mean to imply it’s impossibility by that method, only to highlight the greater ease with which such effects can be adjusted. For example, drawing a polygon on the mask, and then using a number of the built-in, as well as 3rd party, filters to affect the mask, thus providing much in the way of creative effect.

However, by feathering a selection, you in effect apply the blur to the entire selected area, whereas by using a mask, it can be done sectionally. Even the humble ‘Blur’ family will allow a much more diverse, and easier to work with, range of transitions.

Your point, however, is entirely well taken.

Teknofile (NZ) wrote:

I agree that a mask is better if you are not sure if you would ever want to undo the crop. The suggestion that you cannot fade the transition if you delete an inverted selection is wrong, however. Of course you can, because you can feather the selection before you hit the delete key.

A very valid point, and of course you are right… I did not mean to imply it’s impossibility by that method, only to highlight the greater ease with which such effects can be adjusted. For example, drawing a polygon on the mask, and then using a number of the built-in, as well as 3rd party, filters to affect the mask, thus providing much in the way of creative effect.

However, by feathering a selection, you in effect apply the blur to the entire selected area, whereas by using a mask, it can be done sectionally. Even the humble ‘Blur’ family will allow a much more diverse, and easier to work with, range of transitions.

Everything you describe here can be done on a selection too. Just change to ‘Quick Mask’ mode. A mask and a selection are technically the same thing.

—
Johan W. Elzenga johan<<at>>johanfoto.nl Editor / Photographer http://www.johanfoto.com