Before&After Design Tip: To Fit a Space, Crop to an Extreme
Need to fit your design in an extremely shallow space? Cut an extreme slice!
Here’s a quick design tip on working with photos from issue 43 of Before&After Magazine.
A photographic banner is a simple way to beautify a website or blog. But how do you fit such an extremely shallow space? By cutting an extreme slice!

You’ll be surprised by how much a slice can show. Look for one that has some of everything—in this case, needle and thread, buttons, tape measure. Here, high color contrasts (red, yellow, white, black) are a bonus; they boldly distinguish each element.
CreativePro members can download original content from Before&After Magazine, a beloved resource that taught a generation of newly minted digital designers how to design and communicate effectively with the written word. See our archive here.
© John McWade/Before&After Magazine, courtesy of Gaye Anne McWade.
This article was last modified on January 4, 2026
This article was first published on September 27, 2024
Commenting is easier and faster when you're logged in!
Recommended for you
Before&After: Design a Card the Easy Way
A photo and one block of type are all it takes to make a beautiful business card...
Before&After: Gestalt Theory: Proximity
When separate elements are grouped, they appear united just because they’re clos...
Before&After: How to Design Small Calendars
Create eye-catching calendar designs for wallet and desktop.
