# How to crop to a given aspect ratio



## LRList001 (Apr 20, 2017)

Hello

Search as I can, in Develop, I can't find a way of seeing the crop data I need.

Using 5.7.1, I want a group of photos to have the exact same aspect ratio crop.  This ratio is not the original image ratio, nor is the size of the crop the same for each image, but the resulting aspect ratio needs to be exactly the same, for all.

If I could have a readout of the h, w sizes, I could work it out, but right now I can't spot any command in LR that is giving me the information I need.

Any advice welcome!


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## cmphoto (Apr 20, 2017)

Click the crop tool, then click just to the right of the word "aspect:"


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## LRList001 (Apr 20, 2017)

I have solved it.

In custom ratio, enter the required ratio.  It doesn't matter what relative scale is selected, the crop remains the same size.  However, NOW when using the corners to drag the crop and with the aspect ratio padlock on, the ratio remains locked.

Having to go via the library module to get the current aspect ratio seems unnecessary all the same.


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## LRList001 (Apr 20, 2017)

cmphoto said:


> Click the crop tool, then click just to the right of the word "aspect:"


Unhelpfully LR does not pre-populate the custom settings with the current aspect ratio.


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## Bruce J (Apr 20, 2017)

You can also set the aspect ratio you want on one image and then sync just the aspect ratio to a selected set of images.  Then, just go through the images with the crop tool on to fine tune the crop size and placement.


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## LRList001 (Apr 20, 2017)

That is what I did first and it didn't work.  LR did not lock down the aspect ratio.  It was only when I manually entered the aspect ratio in the custom aspect settings and used the padlock to lock the ratio that LR did what I needed it to do.  Without the custom setting, on setting the padlock, LR locked the aspect ratio to the original image's aspect ratio, most certainly not what I wanted either.

The other part of my question was to see if I can activate a display in LR which reads out the current crop size live as I drag the cursor around.  So far, I haven't found such a setting.


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## Jim Wilde (Apr 20, 2017)

LRList001 said:


> The other part of my question was to see if I can activate a display in LR which reads out the current crop size live as I drag the cursor around.  So far, I haven't found such a setting.


I think the nearest you'd be able to get to "live" would be to turn on the Info Overlay, ensuring that "Cropped Dimensions" are included in the display, then the display will update the crop dimensions each time you release the mouse after making a crop adjustment.


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## LRList001 (Apr 20, 2017)

Jim Wilde said:


> I think the nearest you'd be able to get to "live" would be to turn on the Info Overlay, ensuring that "Cropped Dimensions" are included in the display, then the display will update the crop dimensions each time you release the mouse after making a crop adjustment.



Thanks Jim.  I was looking for a live readout.  Obviously not a LR feature that has been requested enough. At least, not by the time 5.7.1 was released.

I'm reminded of a Scandinavian airline that stopped offering free drinks because in passenger surveys nobody picked out free drinks as a reason for flying with the airline.  Then passenger numbers crashed and free drinks were quickly reinstated.  I view the option of a crop size/rotation angle readout as pretty basic, but there we are.  Angle we get.


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## Hoggy (Apr 21, 2017)

LRList001 said:


> I view the option of a crop size/rotation angle readout as pretty basic, but there we are.  Angle we get.



Right along with 'reset to original rotation/flip' (or even including current rotation/flip info in snapshots), and not being able to use any terms with spaces in any of the search/match fields throughout LR.

These are a few of my unfavorite things..  Basic WTF oversights.


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## Victoria Bampton (Apr 21, 2017)

LRList001 said:


> Obviously not a LR feature that has been requested enough.



Essentially, yes. Priority decisions have to be made, and priority goes to those that will help the largest number of users.

The Scandinavian airline is a little different - they took away a feature that people took for granted. Adding a new feature that only a few people care about is in a different league. Feel free to put in a request though, or vote if one already exists. You're welcome to post the link here so that others who also care can vote on it too.


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