How to resize an image without stretching it

Switch to Resize while keeping the original image

If you selected images in Compress or Convert, choose Resize in the visible tool row. The tab keeps those original inputs, while previous exports and settings are cleared for the new task. This lets you compare a pixel reduction with a format or quality change without repeatedly uploading the same source.

This transfer covers the three primary tasks. The crop, rotate and flip editors work separately on one image: download an edited copy and choose it as the resize source when you want to continue from that edit. HEIC needs a JPG or PNG export before it can be resized.

Resize an image by width in four steps

Use a source large enough for the destination. Keeping the original lets you make another export later without working from an already reduced copy.

1. 1

   Choose up to five JPG, PNG or WebP files within the input limits.

2. 2

   Enter an integer maximum width from 1 to 6000 pixels. The same maximum applies to the batch.

3. 3

   Choose an appropriate format and quality, then process the images.

4. 4

   Compare the source and result dimensions. Download and inspect the copy at the size where it will be used.

Keep the aspect ratio instead of stretching

For a 1200 × 800 image, a maximum width of 600 produces 600 × 400. Both dimensions are reduced by the same factor. This avoids making a face wider or a circle oval.

This is a maximum-width tool. It does not crop to a square, choose an exact height or stretch the image to fill an arbitrary box. If a destination requires a crop, prepare that crop separately.

Why an image may stay the same size

A 600-pixel-wide source remains 600 pixels wide when the maximum is 1920. The tool never invents extra pixels to reach the maximum. When no resize or format change is required, it can return the original bytes.

Check the source dimensions before choosing a width. A screenshot that looks large on a high-density display may still have a limited pixel count for printing or a large monitor.

Can resizing happen without losing quality?

Downscaling discards pixels, so it cannot preserve every source detail. It can still look appropriate at the intended smaller display size. Start with the original, avoid repeated exports and inspect important details.

JPEG and the tool’s WebP output also use a quality setting. PNG avoids that lossy encoding step, but reducing its dimensions still changes the image. File format and resizing are separate decisions.

Fewer pixels do not always mean a smaller file

An already optimized source may have very efficient encoding. Re-exporting a smaller version, especially as PNG, can still produce more bytes. Compare both pixel dimensions and the file-size result.

Choose Auto when format flexibility is acceptable, or use the compressor for a byte-size task. If you must meet a 100 KB upload limit, use that specific preset and verify any required dimensions afterward.