Today’s Question: Is there an easy way to apply the exact same crop to more than one image in Lightroom Classic?
Tim’s Quick Answer: There are several ways to apply the same crop to more than one image, including synchronizing adjustments, using a preset, or simply using the same aspect ratio when cropping each image.
More Detail: If you want to apply the exact same crop to several images, you can select all of those images and then turn on the Auto Sync feature by clicking the toggle switch on the left side of the Sync button at the bottom of the right panel in the Develop module. When you then apply a crop to the active image, the same crop will apply to all of the selected images.
If you’ve already cropped an image and want to apply that crop to other images, you can start by selecting the image you cropped in addition to the other images you want to apply the same crop to. After selecting all of the images, click on the thumbnail for the image you already cropped to make sure it is the active image. Then click the Sync button at the bottom of the right panel in the Develop module. In the Synchronize Settings dialog that appears, turn on the checkbox for Crop, as well as any other adjustments you want to synchronize across the selected images.
You could also use a preset for applying the same crop (or other adjustments) to various images. Start by applying the desired crop to one image, and then create a new preset using the plus button to the right of the Presets heading on the left panel in the Develop module, including the crop (and any other desired adjustments) in that preset. You can then apply the preset to other images to crop with the same settings.
If you don’t necessarily want the exact crop applied to all images, but rather just want to use the same aspect ratio for the crop, you can lock a specific aspect ratio for the crop. After choosing the Crop tool click the popup to the right of the Aspect label, and either choose an available aspect ratio or choose Enter Custom to enter your own aspect ratio. Use the same option for the Aspect popup with other images, and the aspect ratio will match for all of the images while the specific crop can still be unique.