New Crop Tool: Crop Placed Image to Mask Shape
Images (jpg, png or photoshop formats) placed in illustrator (with "link” box checked) and then masked to fit within the document or a special shape often have more image then is needed. This adds to the saved .ai file size. So users need to edit the original in photoshop and crop approx. to the size of the mask in illustrator to trim down the photo and its data size.
The “Crop Image” function will allow users to trim the dimensions of the image, but requires embedding after cropping, which actually adds file size to .ai file.
It would really help save time and energy if illustrator had a special cropping tool that, by clicking the masked shape containing the masked image it would automatically “Crop original to mask shape”. Perhaps when the mask is clicked with the tool, a dialogue appears with three button options: keep original / replace original / cancel or something similar. When performed, the original would be automatically cropped (making a new file or replacing the original depending on user’s selection) via photoshop to the masked shape size (hopefully without opening Photoshop?) The image would still remain as a “Link” and not embedded, thus reducing the .ai file size.
Kasha
shared this idea
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Oh yes.
There is a more general request for that: https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/35456389But you mean raster images specifically, and there are some ways already to ease the pain. First one is the commercial Rasterino plugin, which does cropping of embedded images better than the native tool — perhaps they can make auto-cropping a feature too, since they implement these faster. But it’s paid, be warned (although worth it).
Also I know a script is in the works, CropImageByMask, specifically for this, but the author has not finished it yet :(
