Preview for Maverick question about resizing pasted items

[howruyes]

Whenever I copy and paste a part of a photo in Preview I can't make it wider without it also getting longer, and vice versa. Very frustrating. I tried everything I could think of.

To put it more clearly, if I copy and past a 10x10 pixel square and try to stretch it into a 10x15 rectangle, it's impossible -- it will only grow like so as I drag my mouse: 11x11 pixels, 12x12 pixels, 13x13 pixels, 14x14 pixels, 15x15 pixels ... You get the idea. I can't unlock it. Anyone know the solution?

 

[howruyes]

I'm sorry I should have said "question about scaling pasted items" ... Please can anyone help? This is boggling me beyond all comprehension

 

[CrickettGrrrl]

I'm sorry I should have said "question about scaling pasted items" ... Please can anyone help? This is boggling me beyond all comprehension

Are you using Preview's Tools/Adjust size? If so, there's a little checkbox for "Scale proportionally" which you can click to turn off. Then enter numeric values.

 

[howruyes]

Are you using Preview's Tools/Adjust size? If so, there's a little checkbox for "Scale proportionally" which you can click to turn off. Then enter numeric values.

I am referring to when I drag and select part of a picture, copy that, then paste it -- When I try to increase this pasted layer's height, it automatically increases it's width also. Same goes for when I try to make it wider, it automatically has it's height increased as I drag my mouse ... as if it's locked in a height/width proportion regardless of how small or large I make it.

For instance, if I copy this horse and paste it, and then try to make it into a skinnier horse, but keep it the original height, I can't. Because as I drag my mouse to shrink it's width, it automatically gets it's height shrunk also. Before I got this new 2013 iMac last week I had Preview on Mountain Lion and this was not the case. I was able to stretch/skew pasted layers to however I chose, they weren't locked like this.

 

[CrickettGrrrl]

I am referring to when I drag and select part of a picture, copy that, then paste it -- When I try to increase this pasted layer's height, it automatically increases it's width also. Same goes for when I try to make it wider, it automatically has it's height increased as I drag my mouse ... as if it's locked in a height/width proportion regardless of how small or large I make it.

For instance, if I copy this horse and paste it, and then try to make it into a skinnier horse, but keep it the original height, I can't. Because as I drag my mouse to shrink it's width, it automatically gets it's height shrunk also. Before I got this new 2013 iMac last week I had Preview on Mountain Lion and this was not the case. I was able to stretch/skew pasted layers to however I chose, they weren't locked like this.

Ahhh, okay I see. You're right, I tried all sorts of keyboard combinations and like you said, the selection remains proportional. I haven't used Preview to do this in a long time, I vaguely remember being able to adjust the selection in Snow Leopard or earlier.

But anyway, here's a clunky way to do it (the easy way is to get Pixelmator and use layers, etc.):

Make your selection, then copy it to clipboard. Open a new document in Preview, New from Clipboard. Then use Tools/Resize image and deselect the Keep Proportional checkbox. Enter a smaller numeric value in the width, hit enter.
Then use Command-A to select all, then copy. Click on the original and then paste in the squished horse.