How-To Guides
Using the Photo Crop Editor
How to crop and position a photo within your bulletin layout using drag handles and live preview — so recipients see exactly what they need to make a visual ID.
Before you start
- The Photo Crop Editor opens automatically after you upload a photo during bulletin creation — or by clicking the crop icon on an already-placed photo.
- The crop area is shaped by the layout slot you're filling — portrait slots are taller, landscape slots are wider. Selecting your layout first makes the crop editor work correctly.
- The original full photo is always preserved. Cropping only affects how the photo is displayed in the bulletin card view — recipients can click any photo to see the full uncropped original.
Steps
- 1
Upload your photo in the bulletin wizard.
After uploading, the Photo Crop Editor opens automatically. You can also open it at any time by clicking the crop icon on a photo that's already been placed in the bulletin.
Screenshot pending
how-to/photo-crop-editor-open.pngPhoto Crop Editor open — full photo visible with a crop overlay showing the current framing within the layout slot
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Photo Crop Editor open — full photo visible with a crop overlay showing the current framing within the layout slot - 2
Drag the handles to frame the subject.
Drag the corner and edge handles to move and resize the crop area. Drag inside the crop box to reposition the framing without changing its size. For a face bulletin, center on the face with enough space above the top of the head and below the chin. For a vehicle, include the plate if visible.
Screenshot pending
how-to/photo-crop-adjust.pngPhoto Crop Editor with drag handles being used to reframe — face centered within the crop box
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Photo Crop Editor with drag handles being used to reframe — face centered within the crop box - 3
Check the live preview to see how the photo will appear in the bulletin.
The preview panel shows the cropped photo within your chosen layout in real time. What you see in the preview is what recipients will see in the bulletin card view.
Screenshot pending
how-to/photo-crop-preview.pngPhoto Crop Editor with the live layout preview panel alongside — showing the cropped photo positioned in the bulletin layout
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Photo Crop Editor with the live layout preview panel alongside — showing the cropped photo positioned in the bulletin layout - 4
Click Apply to confirm the crop.
The cropped framing is applied to the bulletin. You can reopen the editor and adjust at any time before sending. The full original photo is always retained.
Recipients can always see the full uncropped photo
Bulletin cards display the cropped version for visual consistency. But any recipient can click the photo to see the full uncropped original — useful when context at the edges matters (a background location, a partial plate outside the crop frame, another person visible). You don't need to worry about cropping out important detail as long as it's in the original photo.
Tips
Lead with the face, not the full body
For person bulletins, a tight crop centered on the face is more useful for field identification than a full-body shot at small size. Officers need to recognize the person at a glance — a face-forward crop does that better.
Include the plate in vehicle crops when possible
If the plate is visible in the original photo, frame the crop to include it. It gives officers one more point of confirmation during an encounter and reinforces what's in the License Plate field.
The layout slot shape is fixed — the photo position isn't
You can't change the shape of the photo slot without changing the layout. But you can reposition and resize the crop within that slot freely. If the slot shape isn't working for your photo, try a different layout.
Related guides
Choosing a Bulletin Layout
The layout you choose determines the photo slot dimensions the crop editor works within.
Read the guide →
Using Bulletin Fields
Fill structured fields alongside photos to make your bulletin fully searchable.
Read the guide →
Bulletin Types Explained
The right bulletin type determines what kind of photo is most useful.
Read the guide →