Crop in Preview

By Juan Ibarra · Google IT Support Certified (Verified on Credly) · October 29, 2026

You need to cut someone out of a photo or trim a screenshot, and opening a photo editor feels like overkill. Preview — the app that opens your images — crops in seconds: drag a box, hit crop, done. The fastest image edit on the Mac is the one you already have.

a person cropping a real photo in Preview on a Mac with the selection box and crop button legible, the person's face efficient, photo thumbnails nearby.

TL;DR / Quick Fix

Quick fix: open the image in Preview, drag a selection box around the part to keep, then press Command+K or choose Tools, Crop. Save to keep the crop. For precise crops, zoom in before selecting. Undo with Command+Z if the crop misses.

Follow these steps

Open in Preview. Double-click the image — Preview is the default. No imports, no libraries, just the file.
Drag your selection. Click and drag a box around the area to keep. The marching ants show exactly what survives.
Crop it. Press Command+K or go to Tools, Crop. Instant — the rest of the image is gone from view.
Zoom for precision. Zoom in before dragging for pixel-level control. Small crops need the magnified view.
Undo freely. Command+Z reverses the crop until you save. Experiment without fear — see more crop tips for refinements.
Explore markup tools. Preview also annotates: arrows, text, signatures — the markup tools guide covers them. Cropping is just the gateway drug.

A person performing the first step of the guide: Open in Preview. — Step 1 in action: Open in Preview. Double-click the image — Preview is the default. No imports, no libraries, just the file.

What NOT to do

Do not crop the only copy. Duplicate first for precious photos — destructive saves are forever.
Do not expect non-destructive editing. Preview crops destructively on save — the undo window closes when you close.
Do not crop screenshots tiny. Over-cropping a low-res screenshot yields mush — keep enough pixels.
Do not forget aspect ratios. For profile pictures and prints, mind the shape — freeform crops surprise later.

Frequently asked questions

Can I crop a PDF in Preview?

Yes — select and crop works on PDF pages too, though it hides rather than deletes content.

How do I crop to a specific size?

Preview crops freeform; for exact dimensions, use the Adjust Size tool after cropping.

Where did the rest of my image go?

Cropped away on save. Keep a duplicate of originals you might want whole later.

About the author

By Juan Ibarra · Google IT Support Certified (Verified on Credly). See the About page for full author details.