Sometimes an image may come up with one orientation, and we may want to rotate it 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise, or even 180 degrees, to display it differently.

In IrfanView, go to Image > Rotate Left, or Image > Rotate Right. You can also use the keyboard shortcuts of the letters L or R. To rotate an image 180 degrees, just use this command twice.

In this example, I will rotate the image to the right so that the North America Nebula is oriented correctly for my preference.

Mouse-Over

Images can be rotated easily in Irfanview. Hold your mouse cursor over the image to see the result of the rotation.

You can also rotate an image less than 90 degrees in specific degree increments. Just select Image > Custom/Fine Rotation, or use the keyboard shortcut of Ctrl+U and specify the angle of rotation in degrees.

Cropping

Some images may not be framed exactly as we want. To fix this problem, we can crop the image. This means cutting off the outside parts of the image that we are not interested in.

Now that I have the North America image rotated correctly, I will crop in to the central portion of the image where there is more nebulosity.

Mouse-Over

Images can also be cropped easily in Irfanview. Hold your mouse cursor over the image to see the results of a crop.

In IrfanView, simply click and hold down the left mouse button and drag the cursor inside the image to make a selection rectangle, then let the mouse button go. You can adjust the sides by holding the mouse cursor over the line so it turns into a double-headed arrow, then click and drag the line and position it exactly where you want it.

Once you have the area selected, go to Edit > Crop Selection or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Y.

If you make a mistake, or change your mind after you have applied a crop, you can simply select Edit > Undo from the pull-down menu or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Z.

Crop and Rotate - The Bottom Line Cropping means cutting off unwanted portions of the outside edges of your images. This can help make small objects more prominent in the frame, but it can also make noise more visible. Rotating an image can orient it so that it is displayed correctly.