WordPress 2.9 features a built-in Image Editor which provides basic image editing features. Now it’s not rocket science to use the Image Editor in WordPress 2.9 but somehow the image cropping feature didn’t work out for me initially. What happened was I didn’t know to use it properly. Apart from the other functions such as flipping images, scaling etc. the image crop in the editor works differently. Once you go through this tiny article you’ll discover how silly you and I have been not being able to use image cropping in the WordPress 2.9 editor.
Here’s how it’s done;
There you go, you weren’t supposed to click save and rather click on the crop tool again to crop the image. This is different from the way you work with other tools in the image editor in WordPress 2.9.
How lame?! 
I must be really silly because my crop tool is not highlighted to click on.
When you first open up the image editor the crop tool is selected by default. You can choose to crop the image or select another tool.
Yes I got as far as dragging the mouse to select the crop area as stated in your #3 but still no highlighted crop tool. (Can’t click on it.)
This step is not working for me:
“Now again press the crop tool this will crop your image.”
I tried this also but nothing. “now press the save to store the cropped image.”
Brett,
I hear ya. I had the EXACT same problem as you. I drag the cursor and highlight the area I want to crop, but the crop tool is still not highlighted. Ridiculously enough, the following worked for me.
1. open the image in the image editor window
2. click on one of the OTHER tools–such as rotate. Rotate the pic once and then rotate it back.
SOMEHOW, after I did this, the crop tool became highlighted. I know it sound stupid but any port in a storm. Now my crop tool works properly and I don’t have to do that trick anymore. Go Figure.
Crop tool icon is disabled for me. Impossible to click. Do you have any idea of why it could be? I used scissors before and it worked like a charm.
Same problem here.
Seems like the the crop icon is shaded until I select an area large enough.
I want to crop a picture to 100×57 pixels to create a thumb image, but WordPress think it’s too small.
If I select a larger area the crop tool is highlighted = clickable.
Very strange. I would call it a bug.
Thanks for the tutorial. I thought mine wasn’t working, but your tutorial cleared it all up.
Glad it worked for you!
Harry,
I tried cropping an image for the first time today, and spent 20 minutes trying to figure it out!
I am so happy I’ve found you. It was so simple.
Thanks for the great tutorial.
Diane
You’re most welcome Diane!
Cheers! This was driving me insane as well
Mette
A good example of bad usability design. The crop is counterintuitive to what almost everyone is used to. When something this basic confounds so many and has to be explained, the design is at fault. I hope we see this bug fixed in a near future release of WordPress.
Thanks, that worked for me, I can now crop the image, however, when I choose the cropped image to be the “Page Image” the thumbnail shows up on the published page as the full image. Anyone else having this problem and is there a fix? Thanks.
It looks like the selection has to be at least 150 pixel wide (across) in order to activate the crop button. I don’t know why, but it is possible to crop, just not tiny images. Hopefully they’ll fix it in the next version.
Hahaha..that was cool..i was stuck! Thanks for your awesome work!
And, it's still the same in 3.0. Duh…
Thanks bro!
Hey thanks a bunch. Not a very intuitive UI move by WP. My client could not figure this out. I will send them a link to your blog.
You’re most welcome Justin. Glad I could be of help
my crop button is grayed out no matter what i do. the media uploader system needs a huge overhaul
seems to be a Firefox plugin conflict (sigh…. i have too many but i love them all). i still stand by the statement that the media uploader needs an overhaul. it is NOT intuitive enough for people who aren't wordpress geeks.
If your crop button won’t “light up” (if it stays grayed out), try selecting a bigger area.
very nice articles never know we can do this in wordpress.
Cool thanks
worst design ever…
What is the “Crop” button is grayed out??
The crop size needs to be larger than 150px in either direction or the crop button will be disabled.
Hey thanks so much, I have just downloaded this new theme and I spent the last 10 hours trying to figure out how to make this thumbnail thing work out-I am not really good with codes and your tutorial came in handy. Thanks again
Thanks! Perfect – wow now I feel stupid. But it’s any easy fix.
This helped me. Thanks!
Damn! I wish I read this 2 hours ago.
Thanks much for posting!
Well I feel rather sheepish. Thanks a ton!
We are not silly if the interface is counterintuitive!
Not changed in the latest WP 3.5.1
Lame UI without correct prompts such as cursor change or icon change, weird counter-intuitive workflow.
Not stopping there, we have no way to specify the actual attachment image we want to change OR the ability to save it as a new attachment size.
The whole thing seems rushed and incomplete, a half-hearted attempt at providing image manipulation really. Shame, it thoroughly lets down WordPress as a CMS.