Resize an image without distorting it
Published · Updated 2 min read
Getting an image at a precise format, a square for a profile, a 16:9 for a video, without it looking stretched, means following an order: crop first, resize afterwards. This guide explains why.
What Resize does
By default, the tool keeps the proportions. The width and height you enter form a frame the image fits into. A photograph of 2,400 by 1,600 pixels with a width of 1,200 gives 1,200 by 800. With 1,200 wide and 1,200 high, it still gives 1,200 by 800: the image has not become square, because the tool refuses to distort it.
The Fit setting changes this behavior. "Fill without distortion" fills the whole frame by cutting what overflows: the same photograph gives 1,200 by 1,200. "Exact dimensions" also gives 1,200 by 1,200, but by stretching the image, which distorts it.
Enlarging
The Value field (2, 3, 4 or 6) enlarges the image by that factor. With 2, the photograph becomes 4,800 by 3,200 pixels and its PNG weighs about 13 MB. Enlarging creates no detail: the pixels are simply stretched, and the image may look blurrier.
Getting a precise format
For a square, a 16:9 or a vertical format, you need to crop. Crop photo offers Square, 16:9, 4:5 and 9:16. On the photograph of 2,400 by 1,600 pixels, the default frames give 1,280 by 1,280, 1,920 by 1,080, 1,024 by 1,280 and 720 by 1,280. You then set the position of the frame on the important part of the image, then resize to the size you want.
Choosing the output format
By default, the result is a PNG: the photograph resized to 1,200 by 800 weighs about 1.1 MB. As JPG, it weighs about 170 KB, and as WebP about the same. For a photograph, JPG or WebP are therefore much lighter, with no visible difference on screen.
For which formats
A square for a profile photo, a 16:9 for a video or a cover, a vertical format for a story: cropping first keeps the subject, resizing afterwards sets the size.
Check the result
- Check the displayed dimensions.
- Look at the framing: nothing important is cut off.
- Keep the original.
To resize afterwards, see Resize image.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you resize an image without distorting it?
- Keep the proportions, which are kept by default. To get a precise format, crop first, then resize.
- What is the difference between "Fill without distortion" and "Exact dimensions"?
- The first fills the frame by cutting what overflows, the second stretches the image to the requested dimensions, which distorts it.
- Does enlarging an image make it sharper?
- No. The pixels are stretched, and the image may look blurrier.
- Which output format should you choose for a photograph?
- JPG or WebP, much lighter than PNG for a photograph.