Title: Cropping for Icons
Fandom: Star Trek: Discovery - sort of =)
Rating: G
Content notes: None apply
Summary: tutorial for cropping images to make DW/LJ/etc style 100x100 size icons




We're going to look at cropping images (screenshots in this case) for creating icons. Specifically of the 100x100px variety. (Not going to focus on color correction - just cropping.)

I'm going to get a little help from the crew of the USS Discovery: Captain Lorca, Commander Saru and Cadet Tilly.

I'll be using Photoshop, but most image editors should do just as well.

Let's start with Lorca. He looks like this uncropped screenshot:



We want to crop this so it focuses on an interesting aspect of his face. (Or his chin - you do you.) So, hit the 'crop' tool and set the parameters for it to 100px x 100px (if it isn't already). In PS this starts off with just a dotted outline box, but when you click on the image, it overlays the 'rule of thirds' (photography term - find more info on that here) lines - these are important and look like this before we start moving the box around:



If your image editor doesn't have the rule of thirds overlay, you can mentally draw the lines into place over the image - they divide the space into thirds both horizontally and vertically.

Now, we probably don't want to lop off 1/3 of Lorca's face for this, especially since there's a sliver of Burnham over there on the other side (love her, but her cheekbones don't really fit well into this icon). So, let's move the box around and find something interesting to put on one of those 'rule of thirds' lines.

We can shift the image a little and put his right eye in that crosshair of the left vertical and the top horizontal, and that's pretty good. It draws your attention to his eye and that slightly raised eyebrow. What's going on there, Lorca?



Hit the button that accepts the crop (in PS it's a checkmark) and now we have a 100x100 image of Lorca's face:



I - don't love this crop, so imma undo it and change it a little. Still going back to having the crosshair on his right eye, but now I'm going to collapse the box a little so there's more focus on just his face, like so:



I dragged the lower right corner up a bit and hit 'crop' and now we have this:



And Lorca is good to go!

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Here's Mr. Saru.



We can do the same with him. I'll just drop in the screenshots of the cropping. Note that his eye is in that RoT crosshair...





I lightened this one a little so it's easier to see.

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And lastly, Cadet Tilly.



I'm going to crop her image 2 different ways so you can see how you can get a different effect just by shifting the focal point. (Again, RoT line right across her eyes because that's where you want people to focus.)







These same principles work for subjects other than people - or faces. If someone's ass is your focal point, put the ass on one of the RoT lines! Buildings or trees or starships - play with the spacing and setting things on different lines until you find something you like. Go forth and crop for icons! XD