How to Crop an Image on Mac (Preview, Photos, Screenshots)
imgmend Team
AI Image Tools
Crop an image or screenshot on a Mac with Preview or Photos, fix the greyed-out Crop button, or crop in your browser for free.
To crop an image on a Mac, open it in Preview, choose Tools → Rectangular Selection, drag over the part you want, then choose Tools → Crop (Command+K) and save; in Photos, use Edit → Crop instead. If Crop is greyed out in Preview, you have not made a selection yet.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Preview | Tools → Rectangular Selection, drag, then Tools → Crop (Command+K) |
| Photos app | Double-click the photo, Edit, Crop, drag the corners, Done |
| Screenshots | Open in Preview, or use the crop button in the markup toolbar |
| In a browser | imgmend image cropper (free, nothing uploaded) |
Crop an Image in Preview
- Open the image in Preview (right-click it, choose Open With, then Preview).
- Choose Tools → Rectangular Selection.
- Drag over the area you want to keep. You can adjust the edges after drawing.
- Choose Tools → Crop or press Command+K.
- Choose File → Save, or Export if you want a copy.
On recent versions of macOS you can also show the markup toolbar and use its crop button.
Why Can't I Crop in Preview?
- No selection. Crop only works after you draw a selection with the Rectangular Selection tool. Without one it stays greyed out.
- The wrong selection tool. Make sure the selection tool is not set to text selection, which is meant for PDFs.
- A PDF instead of an image. PDFs are cropped differently from pictures.
- A locked or read-only file. Duplicate the file and crop the copy.
Crop in the Photos App
- Double-click the photo, then click Edit.
- Open the Crop tab.
- Drag the corners, or choose an aspect ratio such as Square or 16:9.
- Click Done. The change can be reverted later.
Crop a Screenshot on Mac
A screenshot is a normal image file. Click its thumbnail in the corner and use the markup toolbar's crop button, or open the file in Preview and follow the steps above. If you only need part of the screen next time, take a selected-area screenshot with Shift+Command+4.
Crop in Your Browser Instead
- Open imgmend.com/crop-image and add the image.
- Drag the crop box, choose a ratio, or type an exact width and height in pixels.
- Click Crop and download.
It is free, has no watermark, and nothing is uploaded: the cropping happens on your Mac. You can also rotate and flip the picture first. For a PNG with a transparent background see crop PNG.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I crop a picture on a Mac?
Open it in Preview, choose Tools, Rectangular Selection, drag over the area, then choose Tools, Crop or press Command+K.
Why is Crop greyed out in Preview?
Usually because there is no selection yet. Draw one with the Rectangular Selection tool first.
How do I crop a screenshot on a Mac?
Open the screenshot in Preview or use the crop button in the markup toolbar, then crop it like any other image.
Can I crop without any software?
Yes. Preview and Photos come with macOS, and the imgmend cropper works in any browser.
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