How to crop a picture into a circle shape (5 easy ways)

Learn how to crop a picture into a circle shape.

GIMP

GIMP is a free, popular photo editor available for GNU/Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows, and other operating systems.

GIMP website

1. Open GIMP.

2. Open the image you want to edit (File (top menu) > Open).

Note: When a “Convert to RGB Working Space” window appears, you click on the Keep button.

3. Click on Layer (top menu) > Transparency > Add Alpha Channel.

Add transparent background to image in GIMP

4. Click on the “Ellipse Select Tool” button located in the “Toolbox” window.

Ellipse Selection Tool in GIMP

Or click on Tools (top menu) > Selection Tools > Ellipse Select.

5. Make a circular selection with the “Ellipse Select Tool”. To do this, left click and hold, drag a circle and then release.

Make a circular selection in GIMP

6. Check the Fixed option located in the left panel.

Fixed option in GIMP

7. Make sure that Aspect ratio is selected.

Aspect ratio in GIMP

8. In the field below the Fixed option, you enter 1:1 and then press the Enter key on your keyboard.

Enter 1:1 ratio in GIMP

9. At Size located at the bottom of the left panel, you can select or enter a width or height. Make sure that the width and height have the same size (e.g., 400 x 400).

Select size for image in GIMP

10. Drag the circle in the desired position.

Drag the circle in the right position in GIMP

11. Click on Select located in the top menu, and then click on Invert.

Invert selection in GIMP

12. Click on Edit (top menu) > Clear.

Clear in GIMP

13. Click on Image (top menu) > Zealous Crop.

Zealous Crop in GIMP

14. Click on File (top menu) > Export As.

Export image as in GIMP

A “Export Image” window will appear.

15. At Name located at the top, you change the file extension to .png (e.g., blue-butterfly.png).

Change file extension to PNG in GIMP

16. You can select a location on your computer where you want to save the picture. By default, GIMP will save the picture in the same location (folder) as the original picture.

17. Click on the Export button located in the bottom right corner of the “Export Image” window.

A “Export Image as PNG” window will appear.

18. Uncheck all checked options (like in the image below).

Export Image as PNG options in GIMP

19. Click on the Export button.

GIMP will now export the picture as a circle cropped PNG image.

PhotoFiltre

PhotoFiltre is a free photo editor available for Microsoft Windows. I use this photo editor often.

PhotoFiltre website

Note: You must download PhotoFiltre and not PhotoFiltre Studio X, because the latter is a paid product.

1. Open PhotoFiltre.

2. Click on the folder button in the top left corner.

PhotoFiltre open file button

You can also click on File located in the top left corner and then click on Open.

Open picture in PhotoFiltre

3. Go to the picture you want to edit.

4. Select the photo.

5. Click on the Open button.

6. Click on the maximize button in the top right corner of the picture.

Maximize photo window in PhotoFiltre

7. Drag a rectangle shape on the part of the photo you want to crop. To do this, left click and hold, drag a rectangle and then release.

Drag a rectangle shape in PhotoFiltre

8. Right click inside the selected rectangle and then click on Manual settings.

PhotoFiltre manual settings

9. Uncheck the Preserve aspect ration option.

PhotoFiltre preserve aspect ratio option

10. Enter a width and a height. The width and height must have the same size (e.g., 400 x 400).

PhotoFiltre width and height settings

11. Click on the OK button.

12. Drag the rectangle in the desired position.

Drag the rectangle in the right position in PhotoFiltre

13. Right click inside the selected rectangle and then click on Crop image.

PhotoFiltre crop image

14. If you want to have a transparent background, then click on Layer located in the top menu, go to Insert new background and then click on Automatic transparency.

PhotoFiltre insert transparent background

But:

If you want to have a solid color background, then click on Layer located in the top menu, go to Insert new background, click on Blank, select a color and then click on the OK button.

PhotoFiltre insert blank background PhotoFiltre insert blank background

15. Click on Layer 1 located at the top of the left side panel.

PhotoFiltre Layer 1

16. Right click on the picture and then click on Select all.

PhotoFiltre select all

17. Right click on the picture, go to Set shape, and then click on Ellipse.

PhotoFiltre set circle shape

18. Right click inside the selected circle and then click on Crop layer.

PhotoFiltre crop layer

19. Right click on the photo and then click on Save as.

PhotoFiltre Save as option

A “Save as” window will appear.

20. Select a location on your computer where you want to save the picture.

21. At Save as type, you select PNG.

PhotoFiltre select PNG as file type

22. Click on the Save button.

A “Confirm” window will appear.

23. Click on the Yes to confirm.

A “PNG” window will appear.

24. Click on the OK button.

PhotoFiltre will now save the picture as a circle cropped PNG image.

Canva

Canva is a simplified graphic-design tool website. It uses a drag-and-drop format and provides access to photographs, vector images, graphics, and fonts.

There's no way of circle cropping an image in Canva. But there's a simple trick that you can use to basically achieve the same result.

The trick is to use a circle frame and how that works, I'll show you in the steps below.

Note: If you have experience with Canva, then you can skip step 1 till 7.

1. Open your web browser.

2. Go to https://www.canva.com.

3. Log into your account or create an account if you don't have one.

4. Click on the Create a new design button in the top left corner of Canva.

5. Click on Custom dimensions.

Create a new design on Canva with custom dimensions

6. Enter a width and a height. The width and height must have the same size (e.g., 400 x 400).

7. Click on the Create design button.

Create a new design on Canva with custom dimensions

8. Click on Elements located in the left menu.

Canva elements

9. Click on Frames or click on All located next to Frames.

Canva frames

10. Find a round frame and click on it.

Canva round frame

11. Drag and drop the picture you want to edit into the round frame.

Drag and drop picture into round frame on Canva

Note: For the people who have less experience with Canva; you can upload a picture from your computer by clicking on Uploads (left menu), and then click on the Upload an image button.

12. If you want to reposition it, then double-click on the photo.

13. Reposition the picture or make it bigger or smaller.

Reposition a picture on Canva

14. When you're done, you click on ✓ Done.

Save picture in Canva

15. Click on the Publish button in the top right corner.

Canva publish button

16. Click on Download.

17. Make sure that PNG is selected at File type.

18. Click on the Download button.

Download Canva picture

Your web browser will now download the photo.

ImageOnline

1. Open your web browser.

2. Go to imageonline.co.

3. Click on Image Filters located in the left menu.

ImageOnline.co Image Filters

4. Click on Circle crop.

ImageOnline.co Circle crop

5. Click on the Select image button.

ImageOnline.co Select image button

6. Go to the picture you want to edit.

7. Select the photo.

8. Click on the Open button.

9. Drag the circle to the desired position. To do this, left click and hold, move the circle to the desired position, and then release. You can also make the circle larger. To do this, left click on the bottom right corner and hold, drag down to the right, and then release.

Drag circle on the right position on ImageOnline

10. When you're done, you click on the Crop circle button below the picture.

Crop circle button on ImageOnline.co

11. Click on the Download image button below the preview of the image on the right side.

Download image button on ImageOnline.co

Your web browser will now download the photo.

Canva app (Android)

There's no way of circle cropping an image in the Canva app. But there's a simple trick that you can use to basically achieve the same result.

The trick is to use a circle frame and how that works, I'll show you in the steps below.

Canva on Google Play

1. Open the Canva app.

2. Log into your account or create an account if you don't have one.

3. Tap on the (+) button in the bottom right corner of the app.

Create new design button in Canva app

4. Below Choose a size, you tap on the rectangle (e.g., [1080 x 1080 px]).

Image size setting in Canva app

5. Enter a width and a height. The width and height must have the same size (e.g., 400 x 400).

Image width and height setting in Canva app

6. Tap on the ✓ checkmark located in the top right corner of the app.

Save image size settings in Canva app

7. Tap on the (+) button in the bottom right corner of the app.

Elements button in Canva app

8. Tap on Illustration.

Illustration button in Canva app

9. Tap on Frame.

Frame button in Canva app

10. Find a round frame and tap on it.

Round frame in Canva app

11. Resize the frame to fit in your image.

Resize round frame in Canva app

12. Tap on Gallery located below the image.

View gallery in Canva app

13. Find the picture you want to edit and tap on it to add it to the circle frame.

Note: If the picture does not appear inside the round frame, then you must first tap once on the round frame and then tap on the picture.

14. If you want to reposition it, then double-tap on the photo.

15. Reposition the picture or make it bigger.

16. When you're done repositioning the picture, you tap on the ✓ checkmark located in the top right corner of the app.

Save repositioning changes in Canva app

17. When you're done editing, you tap on the ✓ checkmark located in the top left corner of the app.

Save editing in Canva app

18. Tap on the save button in the top right corner of the app.

Save button in Canva app

19. Tap on Save as image.

Save as image option in Canva app

The Canva app will save the picture on your phone in the Canva album/folder.

Note: If the ”Complete action using” screen appears, you can ignore it. Just swipe it down.