Crop Node

Crop defines a new image area with an Offset (where to start keeping) and a Size (dimensions of the area to keep). Pixels outside that area are removed from the flow - not just hidden.

Technical advantage: the nodes downstream of the Crop work with fewer pixels → faster processing. Drawback: irreversible loss of information in that flow (unless you keep the original input elsewhere).

• Effects Library: Tools > Transform > Crop
• Quick add: right-click in the Node Editor → Add Tool > Transform > Crop

Masking

Visually hides areas through alpha. The resolution stays the same; masked pixels are still in the flow (transparent).

Crop

Physically crops. The outgoing flow has a new, smaller resolution. The cut pixels no longer exist in that flow.

Rule: hide temporarily / control through alpha → masking. Remove for good / change the final resolution → Crop.

• Input (orange) - 2D image to crop.

No Effect Mask - Crop always applies to the whole image.

Trimming black edges:
MediaIn → Crop (adjust Offset/Size on the edges) → MediaOut

DCI 4K (4096×2160) to UHD 4K (3840×2160):
MediaIn → Crop (Size 3840×2160, Offset X=128) → MediaOut

Isolating a precise area:
MediaIn → Crop (Offset 500,300, Size 800×600) → Transform (Scale) → Merge

Offset X / Y

Starting point of the crop in pixels. 0,0 = top-left corner. 100,50 = an offset of 100 pixels to the right and 50 down = those pixels are cut.

Size X / Y

Dimensions of the final result in pixels. Width × Height of the new canvas.

Keep Aspect

Keeps the original aspect ratio while you change Size.

Keep Centered

Automatically adjusts the Offset so the cropped area stays centered on the source image. Control moves to the Size sliders.

Reset Size / Offset

Restores the default values (whole image, uncropped).

Change Pixel Aspect

Reveals the controls to adjust the pixel aspect ratio.

Clipping Mode

See the dedicated section.

Frame

Uses the full frame. Data outside the source frame is treated as black/transparent. Default.

Domain

Respects the domain of definition of the source image (the area where it is actually defined, not just the frame). Can cause clipping with wide filters.

None

No clipping on the source. Undefined areas are rendered black or transparent.

The Auto Crop button analyzes the image to automatically detect background edges (black or another uniform color), then sets Offset and Size so the result only contains the non-background area.

Configurable criterion: the RGBA channels to analyze. Useful to:

• Remove the black bars of a letterboxed shot.
• Automatically crop the edges of a PNG image with transparency.
• Clean up a document scan with white margins.

• Trimming black bars - letterboxed footage → Auto Crop (Luminance channel) = the letterbox is physically removed from the image.
• DCI 4K to UHD 4K - 4096×2160 (DCI) → Crop Size 3840×2160, Offset X=128 = UHD broadcast format.
• Isolating an area - extract a specific element of a shot (face, object, logo) to process it separately at high resolution.
• Reframing 16:9 to 9:16 (vertical) - Crop to get a vertical ratio (Stories, TikTok) from a horizontal shot.
• Faster render prep - Crop to reduce the processing area before expensive effects, then merge back onto the original shot at the end.
• Removing a watermark or edge artifact - a black bar at the bottom, a watermark in a corner, optical aberrations at the periphery: a Crop removes them cleanly.
• Overlap shot for stabilization - after stabilization, the edges reveal black. Crop to keep only the valid area in every frame.

• Keep Aspect when you change a single dimension - avoids stretching the image by mistake when you only adjust Width or only Height.
• Auto Crop = a time saver - for letterboxes or scans, much faster than computing Offset/Size by hand.
• Keep Centered for a centered crop - if the area of interest is in the center, Keep Centered simplifies the settings (you only adjust the size, not the Offset).
• Crop ≠ reversible - after a Crop, the cut pixels are no longer in the flow. If possible, keep an uncropped branch for later use.
• Clipping Mode Frame by default - the other modes are for specific cases (Domain for wide filters, None rarely useful).
• Crop + Transform - Crop to remove a black bar + Transform to reposition the result in a different layout = a clean dynamic reframe.
• For animated reframes (a crop that moves over time), use a Transform with a Pivot rather than a Crop (Crop changes the resolution, Transform keeps a constant resolution for the animation).