To crop a scan before saving it on your Mac, open Image Capture, select your scanner, and use the scan preview to define the area to capture before you click Scan. The available preview and sizing controls can vary by scanner and macOS version. Apple’s current Image Capture guide directs users to the scanner’s scan options, while its Mac scanning guide describes an Overview preview and size settings; it does not document a universal crop button or exact drag-to-crop steps for every scanner. Image Capture User Guide for Mac

Set up the scanner in Image Capture

Connect and turn on the scanner or multifunction printer. Open Image Capture on your Mac, then select the scanner under Devices or Shared in the sidebar. If it does not appear, Apple recommends checking scanner setup and whether the manufacturer provides software for it. Image Capture supports scans from connected scanners, including multi-page scanning through an automatic document feeder and separate files from multiple flatbed items. Image Capture User Guide for Mac

Preview the page and choose the scan area

Place the page on the flatbed, or load it into the document feeder if your scanner supports one. In Image Capture, open the scanner’s scan controls and look for a preview or overview action. Apple’s Mac scanning instructions describe clicking Overview to see a preliminary scan and adjusting scanning options before scanning; the controls shown depend on the scanner. If the preview displays an adjustable frame, move or resize it to include the part of the page you want. Follow the controls shown for your device—Apple does not specify one crop gesture that applies to every scanner.

For a flatbed scan, check the Size menu as well. Apple lists standard paper sizes and options such as Detect Separate Images and Detect Enclosing Box. These options determine how items on the scanner bed are handled; they are not a general crop command. Leave space between separate items if you want them saved as individual files, since a large area of white space can sometimes cause a scanner to detect extra images. Scan images or documents using a scanner and your Mac

Set the destination and save

Choose where to send the scan before starting: Image Capture’s guide describes using the Import To menu to save to a folder or open the item in an app. In the scanner window, Apple’s general Mac instructions use Scan To for choosing a destination. The labels and settings may differ according to the scanner. If you need a particular output format or resolution, check the available controls before scanning; options such as resolution, format, and image size depend on the scanner and its software. When the preview and settings are ready, click Scan and check the saved file at the destination you selected. Image Capture User Guide for Mac

If Image Capture does not offer a crop frame

Some scanners or software versions may not show an adjustable selection in Image Capture. Apple cautions that scanning options may not be available on every scanner and advises consulting the documentation for the app or scanner when the on-screen options differ. In that case, scan the page at the needed quality, save it, and crop the resulting image in Preview: open the image, show the Markup toolbar, select Crop, adjust the frame to the area to keep, then click Crop again. This crops after the scan has been saved, rather than before it. Annotate an image in Preview on Mac

For documents where you must control the scan boundaries before capture, check the scanner manufacturer’s instructions or software for a crop or scan-area control. Do not assume that Detect Separate Images, paper-size settings, or a Preview editing tool will change the area Image Capture scans; those controls serve different purposes or act after capture.

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