crop same region from different images

[science lady]

Hello,
I am fairly fluent in photoshop but certainly not a guru. I wonder if anyone knows how to select(crop) the same region from two different pictures. Typically we have been doing this by using the selection tool and saving the selection which we can then load into the second picture. This works great except when we need to rotate the selection box at an angle. If we do these and then try to crop, photoshop essentially puts a box around the selection that is straight which gives extra blank spots on the edges. When you crop using the crop tool, you can crop on an angle and photoshop straightens it out fine, but I don't know how to make it crop the exact same region of the second image then. If anyone has suggestions on how to do this, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks,
Science lady

 

[Jiax]

Science Lady,

Like you, I know some things, but I'm no guru. The two methods that spring to mind that may do what you want are as follows.

First, you can record an action that crops the same region with the same rotation. CS4 won't let you record selecting a particular region to crop. You have to select the region (rotate if you want) and then crop. Now you can stop recording and you can repeat that action as often as you like on other images (I gave my 'action' a particular shift-control function key combo so I just hit it and the image is cropped.

The two downsides that comes to mind with this : (1) You likely need to work with the same size images or it will throw the selected region off; I've not tested this, I work with photographs and they're all the same size. (2) You can't select an area for cropping and then play with the rotation, etc., on each image.

Second, you can drag each image to one image so that you have a series of layers (one for each image). Then it's like cutting a stack of paper, you can crop each one identically. Again, this has downsides. If they are in different modes or bit depth images, it'll likely throw things off. Two, this isn't repeatable the next day the way an action is and uh, three, you still can't calibrate each crop after the selection.

My suggestions may not answer exactly what you wanted. But it may spark an idea of two. As for your real question, I wish I knew an easy way to move a crop selection like you can move a (for instance) rectangle selection.

Good luck,


Jiax