Cropping pictures

[microvolk]

Apologies if I am missing something in settings but at one time I could edit the pictures easily enough. For a while now when choosing crop I can easily reduce the widthof a photo from either left or right within reason. I know there is a minimum size applied. But why can't I crop in from top or bottom? It was always so much easier to do it on the listing than in the file & then save before uploading.

Thank you

[ccla3379]

Can I check how you are editing your listing - if it is via a web browser the image editing should look like this when you click on the crop tool.

Dragging the lower corner blobs up (or the top blobs down) should reduce the height of the image.

You can add a screenshot to help explain the issue you are seeing.

[microvolk]

Yes, I am using chrome on a desktop. The crop picture always looks just as above, with the grid and of course the corners should take it both in & up (or in & down depending if you are top or bottom)    Moving cursor to the edges gives me the line rather than cross indicating I am moving the edge either up/down/sideways. But when on top or bottom line it refuses to move, but does the side edges fine.

When placed on the corners only affects the sides move not top/bottom. 

This has only been the case for the past 2-3 months. Prior to that, literally years, I could crop from any side. I di it all the time, it seems to coincide with the restriction on size being auto set. But it is locked when still well within the minimum size.

I can crop without problems on other programmes (photos/irfanbit) on my PC.

[m25jet]

The only other solution that I can think of to the problem you describe if cropping on your laptop will not work would be to zoom in on the item being photographed and get a really close-up shot of the item and cut out anything in the background that you do not want to be seen in the image.  If you're not used to doing this it can take a bit of practice to become proficient at it, but once you get the hang of it you can end up taking shots so close to the item that the shot doesn't even need to be trimmed down in the first place.

[microvolk]

Yes, I realise that I can use  macro & remove background but I just wondered if anyone else had this situation. As it appears not then there must be something on my PC that is interfering with the range of functions. I will tinker around. Thanks for your time & input,  baffling - but not the end of the world. : )

[ccla3379]

This is baffling indeed. 

Just to explore the problem:

• Does it (limited cropping) affect pictures already on saved to your listings and/or only newly added pictures?
• Is the version of Chrome up-to-date? - I appreciate it is a moving target but always worth a check.
• Are there any relevent messages written to the Chrome console (ctrl-shift-I) when trying to crop?
• ..and silly question ... are these simple JPGs we are working with?
• do you get the same problems if you pull in a stock image and try the adjustment on that?

[m25jet]

@microvolk wrote:

Yes, I realise that I can use  macro & remove background but I just wondered if anyone else had this situation. As it appears not then there must be something on my PC that is intefering with the range of functions. I will tinker around. Thanks for your time & input,  baffling - but not the end of the world. : )

I've just tried to crop a photo on my own laptop to see if I experienced the same problems.  The laptop I'm using is running Windows 11 and I used Clipchamp to crop the image I was experimenting with.  It allowed me to crop the image by moving the left and right sides further inwards, moving the top line further down and the bottom line further up, plus I could also shrink the overall size of the image by dragging any one of the four corners diagonally.  It also allowed me to click on any area outside of the part of the shot showing within the lines of the cropped image (this was before "Crop" had been saved) and move the whole image around, thus enabling me to move the part of the original shot that was showing outside of the box containing the cropped image back within the borders of the cropped image.  Therefore, had I wanted to, I could have moved something back into the shot that I had cropped out of it.  If you don't have Clipchamp on your own computer or laptop it might be worth downloading it to see whether it will resolve the problems that you're currently experiencing.

[microvolk]

The issue is not with any external photo editing method. I can edit on any of those. This is specifically the edit features on the listings page of Ebay where I used to be able to load straight from the camera or saved file & edit on the listing. Quicker.

[microvolk]

OK! I will reply fully when I have completed the homework you have set me 😅. But you raise good points for trouble shooting. Only answers I have instantly, Chrome is up to date and yes simple jpeg from same camera that has been in use for years . I have  ad blocker with bitdefender but as I can do all the other edits on the listings page I am guessing not interfering or it would be all functions, but I can rotate & sharpen etc etc.