Note: You’ll need the latest version of Adobe Illustrator CC (2017) to see these enhancements.

Drag an image from the desktop, or choose File > Place to add an image to the artboard. Select the image with the Selection tool, and then use any of these techniques to crop the linked or embedded image.

Simply right - click and choose Crop Image from the context menu.

If you’re working with a linked image, you’ll see a prompt that a copy of the linked file will be embedded after cropping. Click OK to continue.

Or click Crop Image in the Control panel at the top. Read more about the cropping options in Crop images.

You can also choose Object > Crop Image.

Drag the corner widgets and edge handles to adjust the crop rectangle. Press Shift while dragging to resize the crop proportionally; press Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) while dragging to scale the crop from the center. 

You can reposition the crop rectangle easily — click anywhere inside the boundary and drag to a different

location. Tip: Use guides and grids to help you crop more precisely, and rely on Smart Guides to align the crop boundary with other objects in your composition.

Press ESC to cancel your crop anytime.

When you’re satisfied, press Enter (Windows) or Return (macOS) to crop your art and permanently delete the pixels or artwork outside the crop boundary.