How to resize an image

"Resize" means two different things depending on why you're doing it — and picking the wrong one is why people end up with a stretched photo or a file that still won't upload. This guide separates the two cases and points you at the right free, in-browser tool for each.

The two kinds of resize

• By dimensions (pixels) — make the image a specific width and height, for example fitting a 1200px-wide content column. Use Image Resize.
• By file size — get the file under a hard limit like 2 MB or 200 KB, regardless of its dimensions. Use Resize Image to KB.
• Both at once — an upload form that wants an exact pixel size and a KB limit. Use Prepare Image for Upload, which keeps the pixels exact while it compresses, and checks the result against both rules before you download it.

Resizing by pixels without distortion

The one rule: keep the aspect ratio locked so width and height change together. Set the width you need and let the height follow. Changing both independently is exactly what squashes or stretches a photo. Shrinking is safe; enlarging past the original size looks soft because there is no extra detail to show.

Getting under a file-size limit

Upload forms — job portals, visa applications, government sites — often reject anything over a set size. Rather than guessing at quality settings, Resize Image to KB targets the limit directly: tell it "under 200 KB" and it compresses (and scales, if needed) until the file fits.

When you only need to shrink the file

If the dimensions are fine and the image is just too heavy — a photo for a web page, say — Image Compress reduces the file size while keeping the pixel dimensions, so it looks the same but downloads faster.

A note on privacy

Photos are personal — faces, documents, screenshots. Every one of these tools processes the image in your browser, so it is never uploaded to a server.

Open Image Resize →