2 Simple Ways to Crop an Image Using GIMP

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Edit something out of an image on GIMP

Co-authored by Rain Kengly

Last Updated: August 21, 2024 Fact Checked

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Using the Crop Tool

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Using the Selection Tool

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Video

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Q&A

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Tips

When you crop an image, you cut a portion of an image from a larger image. For example, if you have a picture of you and your family, you can crop the image to remove all the tourists standing next to you. Here's how to crop an image using GIMP on your computer.

Quick Steps

Open a picture in GIMP.
Select the Crop tool.
Drag a square around the part you want to keep.
Drag the corners to adjust the crop.
Double-click inside the rectangle.
Save your image.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using the Crop Tool

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1
Open GIMP. GIMP has an icon that resembles a fox with a paintbrush in his mouth.
- If you haven't installed GIMP, go ahead and download GIMP and install it for free.
2
Open an image. You can do this by clicking File at the top, and then Open. Use the file navigator to find and select an image.
- Alternatively, you can open the image in GIMP by right-clicking the file on your computer, selecting Open With, and then GIMP.
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3
Click on the crop tool. This looks like a precision (exacto) knife. You can find this in the Toolbox.^{[1]
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- If you can't find the tool, you can click Tools > Transform Tools > Crop in the image window.
- When this tool is selected, your cursor will change.
4
Drag a square around the portion of the image you want to keep. This creates a rectangle around the image section.
- The dark area outside the square is the area that will be cropped.
5
Adjust the cropping rectangle. To adjust the size of the cropping rectangle, click and drag any of the squares in the four corners.
- If you want to use guides, click View in the menu bar, then click the box next to "Show Guides". This displays rulers to the top and left of the image.
6
Double-click the area inside the rectangle. This crops your image and removes the dark area outside the rectangle.
- If you want to save your image, click File, and then Save.
- To save the image as a separate file, click Save As in the drop-down menu, and then type a name for the image and click Save.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using the Selection Tool

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1
Open an image in GIMP. You can do this by clicking File at the top, and then Open. Use the file navigator to find and select an image.
- Alternatively, you can open the image in GIMP by right-clicking the file on your computer, selecting Open With, and then GIMP.
2
Click the Selection tool. It's one of the two icons that resembles a rectangle or an oval with a dotted line around it. You can find this in the Toolbox.
- Use the rectangle selection tool to create a rectangle selection. Use the oval selection tool to create a round selection.
3
Select the area you want to keep. To do this, click and drag your cursor from one corner of the section to the opposite corner. This creates a rectangle with a dotted line inside around the selected area.
4
Adjust the selected area. You can adjust the selected area by clicking and dragging any of the squares in the four corners.
5
Click Image. It's in the menu bar at the top of the screen. This displays a drop-down menu.
6
Click Crop to Selection. It's in the menu bar below "Image". This removes everything except the area inside your selection.
- If you want to save your image, click File, and then Save.
- To save the image as a separate file, click Save As in the drop-down menu, and then type a name for the image and click Save.

Community Q&A

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Question

How do I save an image I cropped in GIMP?

Community Answer

Once you have finished cropping your picture. Just double click the picture, go to 'Image' and click on 'Crop to selection.' When you are satisfied you have the desired result, click on 'file', then click on 'Export to' and click on the file that you wish it to save it to. This can be confusing as there will be other saved files you have worked on, including the one you just cropped. Ignore everything else and just click the file that you want to save to; such as 'pictures' or 'Gimp Cropped' or whatever you chose to call your file. It is always best to create a file to save your cropped photos to first in your 'pictures' file.

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Question

What do I do if I can't find a save option even when I try closing to get a prompt?

Community Answer

Go to the top left and click "File," then look down the list and hit "Save" or "Save As." Alternatively, use Ctrl+S (Control and S at the same time) to save.

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Question

How do I save a jpeg in gimp 2?

Community Answer

Use 'Save As' in the file menu, and click the 'File Type' option and select 'JPEG', 'JPG', '.jpg' or '.jpeg'.

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