Is there a user friendly cropping tool available in any free program
that could crop a couture of a picture (not a rectangular crop)?

Microsoft Paint. Look on the Start menu. Top of the toolbar next to square one - looks like a star. Select and copy to new picture rather than cropping.

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"dkb" <veshno@gmail.com> wrote in message news:eWCTab$%23FHA.3096@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
> Is there a user friendly cropping tool available in any free program
> that could crop a couture of a picture (not a rectangular crop)?

Paint does have a help file too.

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"dkb" <veshno@gmail.com> wrote in message news:eWCTab$%23FHA.3096@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
> Is there a user friendly cropping tool available in any free program
> that could crop a couture of a picture (not a rectangular crop)?

David Candy wrote:
> Microsoft Paint. Look on the Start menu. Top of the toolbar next to square one - looks like a star. Select and copy to new picture rather than cropping.
>
Thanks for the guidance. I do not know how to cull-out only the exact
image portion that I want from the big image. Using the tool gets some
portions of the background of the picture also. My marking of an exact
portion fails me.

Recently I was in a photographic lab. I was watching a technician in
front of a monitor and he with a few clicks took out the portion of the
image that I gave him on a floppy drive. I think he did not use a tool
to select that portion.
My question: is there any program that could do it?

Free software for cropping to anything you want:

www.faststone.org


"dkb" <veshno@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:eWCTab$%23FHA.3096@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
> Is there a user friendly cropping tool available in any free program
> that could crop a couture of a picture (not a rectangular crop)?

Yves Alarie wrote:
> Free software for cropping to anything you want:
>
> www.faststone.org
>
>
> "dkb" <veshno@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:eWCTab$%23FHA.3096@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
>
>>Is there a user friendly cropping tool available in any free program
>>that could crop a couture of a picture (not a rectangular crop)?
>
>
>
Probably I am not explaining my problem properly--- I shall replete it
again---- I have a picture which shows two persons? Out of the picture I
want to extract only one person from the picture --- cropping crops a
rectangular picture---- the MS paint ‘star tool’ copies for me not an
exact portion inside the contour of the picture that I want (because of
my limitations in the smooth hand drawing) and thus I am not in a
position to extract it with these programs?

dkb wrote:
> Probably I am not explaining my problem properly--- I
> shall replete it again---- I have a picture which shows
> two persons? Out of the picture I want to extract only
> one person from the picture --- cropping crops a
> rectangular picture---- the MS paint ‘star tool’ copies
> for me not an exact portion inside the contour of the
> picture that I want (because of my limitations in the
> smooth hand drawing) and thus I am not in a position to
> extract it with these programs?
===================================
Sounds like you are trying to make a cutout.
Try the free 60 day trial version of MS Digital
Image...(I've added instructions on making
the cutout below)

This is a downloadable trial version with much
of the functionality of MS Digital Image Suite
2006.

Once your 60 day trial period has ended, the
program will de-feature to minimal functionality.

Microsoft Digital Image
Starter Edition 2006
http://tinyurl.com/8x6ea

Be aware that it's a 109 MB download....


How to save a cutout as a separate object:

First, choose the Freehand Selection Tool
and carefully outline your subject by Left click
/ Dragging your Pointer. Just think of carefully
cutting out a paperdoll with scissors.


After you define your selection (cutout), copy
the selected object by typing...Ctrl+C...
(Also...you can add the cutout as a separate
layer to the original image by typing...Ctrl+D)

Now... open a blank canvas by left clicking
the "New" button (or Ctrl+N)...and Paste the
cutout...Ctrl+V...the blank will autofit the cutout.


You can smooth the edges of your finished
cutout by going to...Effects / Edges / Soft...
one or two points should do it.

So the simple steps are...

1) Define your selection with the
Advanced Selection tools...
2) Ctrl+C
3) Ctrl+N
4) Ctrl+V

Now you can open the image that you wish
to add the cutout to and drag the cutout onto
it. The cutout can be resized by dragging the
corner handles and repositioned by dragging
the 4-way arrow. Also...a selected object can
be nudged into position with your arrow keys.

--

John Inzer
MS Picture It! MVP
How to ask a newsgroup question:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375

"dkb" <veshno@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:uImXHy$%23FHA.272@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> David Candy wrote:
>> Microsoft Paint. Look on the Start menu. Top of the toolbar next to
>> square one - looks like a star. Select and copy to new picture rather
>> than cropping.
>>
> Thanks for the guidance. I do not know how to cull-out only the exact
> image portion that I want from the big image. Using the tool gets some
> portions of the background of the picture also. My marking of an exact
> portion fails me.
>
> Recently I was in a photographic lab. I was watching a technician in front
> of a monitor and he with a few clicks took out the portion of the image
> that I gave him on a floppy drive. I think he did not use a tool to select
> that portion.
> My question: is there any program that could do it?
It seems there must be otherwise the technician could not remove things that
easily. A person at one of the local print shops remarked that they have a
very advanced and comprehensive version of Photoshop at his place which is
far more capable that CS2. Maybe that is what they were using. He did
mention that their version of Photoshop cost $100,000. It ought to be much
more comprehensive that CS2 at that price.
Jim

John Inzer wrote:
> dkb wrote:
>
>> Probably I am not explaining my problem properly--- I
>> shall replete it again---- I have a picture which shows
>> two persons? Out of the picture I want to extract only
>> one person from the picture --- cropping crops a
>> rectangular picture---- the MS paint ‘star tool’ copies
>> for me not an exact portion inside the contour of the
>> picture that I want (because of my limitations in the
>> smooth hand drawing) and thus I am not in a position to
>> extract it with these programs?
>
> ===================================
> Sounds like you are trying to make a cutout.
> Try the free 60 day trial version of MS Digital
> Image...(I've added instructions on making
> the cutout below)
>
> This is a downloadable trial version with much
> of the functionality of MS Digital Image Suite
> 2006.
>
> Once your 60 day trial period has ended, the
> program will de-feature to minimal functionality.
>
> Microsoft Digital Image
> Starter Edition 2006
> http://tinyurl.com/8x6ea
>
> Be aware that it's a 109 MB download....
>
>
> How to save a cutout as a separate object:
>
> First, choose the Freehand Selection Tool
> and carefully outline your subject by Left click
> / Dragging your Pointer. Just think of carefully
> cutting out a paperdoll with scissors.
>
>
> After you define your selection (cutout), copy
> the selected object by typing...Ctrl+C...
> (Also...you can add the cutout as a separate
> layer to the original image by typing...Ctrl+D)
>
> Now... open a blank canvas by left clicking
> the "New" button (or Ctrl+N)...and Paste the
> cutout...Ctrl+V...the blank will autofit the cutout.
>
>
> You can smooth the edges of your finished
> cutout by going to...Effects / Edges / Soft...
> one or two points should do it.
>
> So the simple steps are...
>
> 1) Define your selection with the
> Advanced Selection tools...
> 2) Ctrl+C
> 3) Ctrl+N
> 4) Ctrl+V
>
> Now you can open the image that you wish
> to add the cutout to and drag the cutout onto
> it. The cutout can be resized by dragging the
> corner handles and repositioned by dragging
> the 4-way arrow. Also...a selected object can
> be nudged into position with your arrow keys.
>
Thanks for your detalied guidance. I shall download this file later at
the time when there is lean Internet traffice at this time in this part
of the world.
I am sorry not to have defined the problem properly---yes it is the
cutout (proper word) that I am in need of. I shall try it and see
whether later I can afford it to purchase.

dkb wrote:
> Thanks for your detalied guidance. I shall download this
> file later at the time when there is lean Internet
> traffice at this time in this part of the world.
=========================================
You're welcome. BTW, what part of the world
are you posting from?
=========================================
> I am sorry not to have defined the problem properly---yes
> it is the cutout (proper word) that I am in need of. I
> shall try it and see whether later I can afford it to
> purchase.
=========================================
Let us know if you require further assistance.

--

John Inzer
MS Picture It! MVP
How to ask a newsgroup question:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375