cropping - destructive, or non?

[jimh12345]

It's a basic thing, but I've ended up confused about AP cropping.  Is it always destructive, or is there some way to do a non-destructive crop that I can change later?   I searched the forum but I see odd and contradictory posts about cropping in AP.

[walt.farrell]

Cropping by using the Crop Tool in Photo is non-destructive, unless you perform a Rasterize & Trim operation.

[v_kyr]

... or unless you do remove the initial background layer.

See also:

• Cropping and straightening

Quote

To uncrop the cropped image:

• From the Document menu, click Unclip Canvas.

But here, if you crop an image and don't keep the intial image sized background layer (...let's say if you do remove that initial background layer), an Unclip Canvas operation of course wouldn't bring/give you back what is already gone. - Then only performing enough Undo (Ctrl-Z) steps will bring you initial sized image back.

You can easily try those things yourself out with some sample image, by cropping and then keeping or removing your initial image background layer etc.

[jimh12345]

Didn't do any "Rasterize and Trim" - don't even know what that is.  Was it an option I somehow engaged in the Crop tool?   What does "rasterize" even mean, if I'm editing a digital photo?  

Haven't removed the background layer.

I just started editing a photo by cropping it, realized later I couldn't change that crop by using the cropping tool again; I could only reduce the crop further.

However, "Unclip Canvas" does restore the original - although it adds a thin transparent border around it (?).  So thanks for that option.

[Corgi]

You should be able to undo the crop, even though it may not be obvious. Try going back into the crop tool, and then move the border handles out to enlarge the canvas and press Apply. Does that work?

 

[jimh12345]

10 minutes ago, Corgi said:

You should be able to undo the crop, even though it may not be obvious. Try going back into the crop tool, and then move the border handles out to enlarge the canvas and press Apply. Does that work?

Ah.. now here's the strange part. I just revisited this and yes, that does work BUT you can't see the parts that you previously cropped out until after you enlarge the rectangle and click "Apply".   You have to enlarge/adjust the rectangle "blind" and just guess at the original extents of the image.   Which is why I assumed the crop was destructive.

Weird because I really think I remember it working differently....

[loukash]

18 minutes ago, jimh12345 said:

"Unclip Canvas" does restore the original - although it adds a thin transparent border around it (?)

Apparently you did some editing that added semi-transparent pixels to your original image. You may have moved or rotated it so that now it isn't aligned to the document integer pixel grid anymore, or you may have added adjustments, layer effects or filters that affect transparency at the edges by some means (blur, for example).

[RichardMH]

On the right of the crop toolbar is a Reveal check box. Have you checked that?

[jimh12345]

12 hours ago, RichardMH said:

On the right of the crop toolbar is a Reveal check box. Have you checked that?

Ahhhh yes.  That does the trick, thanks.   Maybe I somehow unchecked it.

Sorry but I have to ask:  what's the possible utility of this obscure feature?  IMHO the checkbox should be labelled "Yes, let me actually see what I'm doing here". 

[R C-R]

3 hours ago, jimh12345 said:

Sorry but I have to ask:  what's the possible utility of this obscure feature? 

The option to turn it off is provided for those who do not want to be distracted by whatever they have previously cropped out of the image when re-cropping it again.