How to Create Circle Cropped Photos with Transparent Backgrounds in Photoshop

Circular cropping transforms standard photographs into clean, professional profile images perfect for websites, social media, and presentations. The frame tool method creates non-destructive crops with transparent backgrounds that export seamlessly across different platforms.

This streamlined workflow eliminates the need for complex selections or masks while maintaining full control over image positioning and styling options like custom borders.

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Practical Tips

Essential techniques for creating perfect circular crops with professional results:

• Double-click the background layer to unlock it before using the frame tool - locked layers prevent frame creation
• Hold Shift while dragging to maintain a perfect circle shape instead of creating an oval
• Use the move tool (V key) or transform (Ctrl/Cmd+T) to reposition or resize the image within the circular frame
• Access the contextual taskbar through Window > Contextual Taskbar if stroke and replacement options don't appear
• Right-click the frame layer and select "Quick Export as PNG" to preserve the transparent background

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