diff --git a/apps/api/src/routes/tools/crop.ts b/apps/api/src/routes/tools/crop.ts
index d89acf71..08214b22 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/routes/tools/crop.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/routes/tools/crop.ts
@@ -6,10 +6,11 @@ import { resolveOutputFormat } from "../../lib/output-format.js";
 import { createToolRoute } from "../tool-factory.js";
 
 const settingsSchema = z.object({
-  left: z.number().int().min(0),
-  top: z.number().int().min(0),
-  width: z.number().int().positive(),
-  height: z.number().int().positive(),
+  left: z.number().min(0),
+  top: z.number().min(0),
+  width: z.number().positive(),
+  height: z.number().positive(),
+  unit: z.enum(["px", "percent"]).optional(),
 });
 
 export function registerCrop(app: FastifyInstance) {
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/tools/crop-settings.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/tools/crop-settings.tsx
index 01c988ba..7e4a5280 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/tools/crop-settings.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/tools/crop-settings.tsx
@@ -40,6 +40,10 @@ export function CropSettings({
 
   const { crop, aspect, showGrid, imgDimensions } = cropState;
 
+  const [customMode, setCustomMode] = useState(false);
+  const [customW, setCustomW] = useState("3");
+  const [customH, setCustomH] = useState("2");
+
   // Convert percentage crop to pixel values
   const toPixels = useCallback(
     (c: Crop) => {
@@ -94,6 +98,7 @@ export function CropSettings({
 
   const handleAspectSelect = useCallback(
     (value: number | undefined) => {
+      setCustomMode(false);
       onAspectChange(value);
       // When selecting an aspect ratio, adjust the current crop to match
       if (value && imgDimensions) {
@@ -121,6 +126,42 @@ export function CropSettings({
     [onAspectChange, onCropChange, imgDimensions],
   );
 
+  const applyCustomAspect = useCallback(
+    (w: number, h: number) => {
+      if (w > 0 && h > 0) {
+        const value = w / h;
+        onAspectChange(value);
+        if (imgDimensions) {
+          const imgAspect = imgDimensions.width / imgDimensions.height;
+          let newWidth: number;
+          let newHeight: number;
+          if (value > imgAspect) {
+            newWidth = 100;
+            newHeight = (imgDimensions.width / value / imgDimensions.height) * 100;
+          } else {
+            newHeight = 100;
+            newWidth = ((imgDimensions.height * value) / imgDimensions.width) * 100;
+          }
+          onCropChange({
+            unit: "%",
+            x: (100 - newWidth) / 2,
+            y: (100 - newHeight) / 2,
+            width: newWidth,
+            height: newHeight,
+          });
+        }
+      }
+    },
+    [onAspectChange, onCropChange, imgDimensions],
+  );
+
+  const handleCustomSelect = useCallback(() => {
+    setCustomMode(true);
+    const w = Number(customW);
+    const h = Number(customH);
+    applyCustomAspect(w, h);
+  }, [customW, customH, applyCustomAspect]);
+
   const handleSwapAspect = useCallback(() => {
     if (aspect) {
       handleAspectSelect(1 / aspect);
@@ -130,15 +171,23 @@ export function CropSettings({
   const pixels = toPixels(crop);
 
   const handleProcess = () => {
-    const settings = {
-      left: pixels.left,
-      top: pixels.top,
-      width: Math.max(1, pixels.width),
-      height: Math.max(1, pixels.height),
-    };
     if (files.length > 1) {
+      // Send percentage-based crop so the server adapts to each image's dimensions
+      const settings = {
+        left: crop.x,
+        top: crop.y,
+        width: Math.max(0.1, crop.width),
+        height: Math.max(0.1, crop.height),
+        unit: "percent" as const,
+      };
       processAllFiles(files, settings);
     } else {
+      const settings = {
+        left: pixels.left,
+        top: pixels.top,
+        width: Math.max(1, pixels.width),
+        height: Math.max(1, pixels.height),
+      };
       processFiles(files, settings);
     }
   };
@@ -184,7 +233,7 @@ export function CropSettings({
               key={label}
               onClick={() => handleAspectSelect(value)}
               className={`px-2 py-1.5 rounded text-xs transition-colors ${
-                activePresetLabel === label
+                !customMode && activePresetLabel === label
                   ? "bg-primary text-primary-foreground"
                   : "bg-muted text-muted-foreground hover:bg-primary/20 hover:text-foreground"
               }`}
@@ -192,7 +241,47 @@ export function CropSettings({
               {label}
             </button>
           ))}
+          <button
+            type="button"
+            onClick={handleCustomSelect}
+            className={`px-2 py-1.5 rounded text-xs transition-colors ${
+              customMode
+                ? "bg-primary text-primary-foreground"
+                : "bg-muted text-muted-foreground hover:bg-primary/20 hover:text-foreground"
+            }`}
+          >
+            Custom
+          </button>
         </div>
+        {customMode && (
+          <div className="flex items-center gap-1.5 mt-2">
+            <input
+              type="number"
+              value={customW}
+              onChange={(e) => {
+                setCustomW(e.target.value);
+                const w = Number(e.target.value);
+                const h = Number(customH);
+                if (w > 0 && h > 0) applyCustomAspect(w, h);
+              }}
+              min={1}
+              className="w-16 px-2 py-1.5 rounded border border-border bg-background text-sm text-foreground tabular-nums text-center"
+            />
+            <span className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">:</span>
+            <input
+              type="number"
+              value={customH}
+              onChange={(e) => {
+                setCustomH(e.target.value);
+                const w = Number(customW);
+                const h = Number(e.target.value);
+                if (w > 0 && h > 0) applyCustomAspect(w, h);
+              }}
+              min={1}
+              className="w-16 px-2 py-1.5 rounded border border-border bg-background text-sm text-foreground tabular-nums text-center"
+            />
+          </div>
+        )}
       </div>
 
       {/* Position & Size */}
@@ -259,18 +348,16 @@ export function CropSettings({
       </div>
 
       {/* Grid overlay toggle */}
-      <button
-        type="button"
-        onClick={() => onGridToggle(!showGrid)}
-        className={`flex items-center gap-2 w-full px-2 py-1.5 rounded text-xs transition-colors ${
-          showGrid
-            ? "bg-primary/10 text-primary"
-            : "bg-muted text-muted-foreground hover:text-foreground"
-        }`}
-      >
+      <label className="flex items-center gap-2 w-full px-2 py-1.5 rounded text-xs cursor-pointer select-none text-muted-foreground hover:text-foreground transition-colors">
+        <input
+          type="checkbox"
+          checked={showGrid}
+          onChange={(e) => onGridToggle(e.target.checked)}
+          className="accent-primary h-3.5 w-3.5"
+        />
         <Grid3x3 className="h-3.5 w-3.5" />
         Rule of Thirds
-      </button>
+      </label>
 
       {/* Error */}
       {error && <p className="text-xs text-red-500">{error}</p>}
diff --git a/apps/web/src/pages/tool-page.tsx b/apps/web/src/pages/tool-page.tsx
index 309f8b2e..91024d73 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/pages/tool-page.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/pages/tool-page.tsx
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ export function ToolPage() {
     setSelectedIndex,
     navigateNext,
     navigatePrev,
+    currentEntry,
   } = useFileStore();
   const isMobile = useMobile();
   const hasMultiple = entries.length > 1;
@@ -249,6 +250,18 @@ export function ToolPage() {
       );
     }
 
+    // Show error state for failed batch files (before interactive canvas blocks,
+    // which also match !hasProcessed and would show the canvas instead of the error)
+    if (hasFile && !hasProcessed && currentEntry?.status === "failed") {
+      return (
+        <div className="flex flex-col items-center justify-center gap-3 h-full text-center px-4">
+          <p className="text-sm text-red-500">
+            {currentEntry.error ?? "Processing failed for this file"}
+          </p>
+        </div>
+      );
+    }
+
     if (displayMode === "interactive-crop" && hasFile && !hasProcessed && originalBlobUrl) {
       return (
         <CropCanvas
@@ -274,7 +287,11 @@ export function ToolPage() {
       );
     }
 
-    if (hasProcessed && originalBlobUrl && displayMode === "side-by-side") {
+    if (
+      hasProcessed &&
+      originalBlobUrl &&
+      (displayMode === "side-by-side" || displayMode === "interactive-crop")
+    ) {
       return (
         <SideBySideComparison
           beforeSrc={originalBlobUrl}
diff --git a/packages/image-engine/src/operations/crop.ts b/packages/image-engine/src/operations/crop.ts
index 91fb503c..75bf04b3 100644
--- a/packages/image-engine/src/operations/crop.ts
+++ b/packages/image-engine/src/operations/crop.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,26 @@
 import type { CropOptions, Sharp } from "../types.js";
 
 export async function crop(image: Sharp, options: CropOptions): Promise<Sharp> {
-  const { left, top, width, height } = options;
+  const metadata = await image.metadata();
+  const imgWidth = metadata.width ?? 0;
+  const imgHeight = metadata.height ?? 0;
+
+  let left: number;
+  let top: number;
+  let width: number;
+  let height: number;
+
+  if (options.unit === "percent") {
+    left = Math.round((options.left / 100) * imgWidth);
+    top = Math.round((options.top / 100) * imgHeight);
+    width = Math.round((options.width / 100) * imgWidth);
+    height = Math.round((options.height / 100) * imgHeight);
+  } else {
+    left = Math.round(options.left);
+    top = Math.round(options.top);
+    width = Math.round(options.width);
+    height = Math.round(options.height);
+  }
 
   if (width <= 0 || height <= 0) {
     throw new Error("Crop width and height must be greater than 0");
@@ -10,10 +29,6 @@ export async function crop(image: Sharp, options: CropOptions): Promise<Sharp> {
     throw new Error("Crop left and top must be non-negative");
   }
 
-  const metadata = await image.metadata();
-  const imgWidth = metadata.width ?? 0;
-  const imgHeight = metadata.height ?? 0;
-
   if (left + width > imgWidth) {
     throw new Error(
       `Crop region exceeds image width: left(${left}) + width(${width}) > ${imgWidth}`,
diff --git a/packages/image-engine/src/types.ts b/packages/image-engine/src/types.ts
index ca02315c..416ec1d5 100644
--- a/packages/image-engine/src/types.ts
+++ b/packages/image-engine/src/types.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ export interface CropOptions {
   top: number;
   width: number;
   height: number;
+  unit?: "px" | "percent";
 }
 
 export interface RotateOptions {