Resizing an image doesn’t have to be rocket science. It’s true that more robust image-editing software sports all sorts of magical functions — content-aware analysis and 3D rendering, among other highlights — but resizing an image is as basic as it gets.
Almost all, if not all, image editing software contains easily-accessible resizing tools that can resize your image to your desired proportions, whether it be in pixels, inches, or by a specified percentage change. Note that although it is generally fine to shrink an image, enlarging an image often results in quality degradation, reducing the image’s crispness and visual fidelity.
Step 1: Save the image
Save the image you want to resize somewhere easy to find. If you’re doing so from the web, right-click it and select “Save image as…” from the drop-down menu. Any image format will do, whether it’s PNG or JPEG.
If you’ve already got your image saved in a folder, skip on to the next step — just make sure you know where it’s located on your hard drive.
Step 2: Go to Pixlr
Head to the Pixlr editor page. Pixlr is a web-based image-editing app that’s made a lasting impression on us since its 2008 debut. The simple suite of apps offers many of the same basic functions you would find in Photoshop, such as image cropping and resizing, but requires no external software and leaves no footprint as it works entirely within your web browser.
Select “Open image from computer.” In the window that appears, select the picture you want to edit.
Step 3: Resize your image
Once the image is opened, click “Image” in the menu, followed by “Image size.” A small pop-up window will appear housing various options for resizing and altering your image to your preferred pixel specifications.
Select your desired width and height and make sure the “Constrain proportions” box is checked, as to maintain the proper proportions when rescaling your image. When finished, click the “OK” button.
Step 4: Re-save your image
Once you’re done editing and resizing your image, click the “File” button in the top-left, followed by “Save.” Make any adjustments you like to the name or image format, then click the “OK” button.
In the window that appears, select the save location, and click “Save” one final time.
Preview
The above method works great for both MacOS, Windows, or Chrome OS. However, another great option for Mac users is using Preview, an app that comes with your MacBook. Preview is typically set as the default program for viewing images and PDFs, hence it’s usually the first program to open your newly-imported images and doesn’t require any external software.
To resize an image using Preview, click its icon and open the image you want to edit in the “File” menu. Choose the image from its save location and then select “Tools” from the top menu. “Adjust Size” will give you all of the options you need to adjust the size and shape of your chosen image.
Then simply re-save the image using the “File” menu. Click save and select a location to store your newly edited image.
Paint
Resizing images in the latest iteration of Windows 10 is easy, especially in comparison to earlier versions of the OS. This is because Microsoft chose to remove the Photo Gallery option and focus primarily on using Paint, at least for quick fixes and alterations.
Type “Paint” in the Windows search box and click the application’s icon once found — it resembles a paintbrush and pallet. Once open, click “File” in the Paint top menu and choose “Open” from the resulting drop-down menu. Once you’ve opened your image, look to the “Home” tab and use the “Resize” tool to tweak the image as you want.
When you’ve finished, click “File,” followed by “Save,” to store your resized image.
