How to resize images
- Drop, choose or paste your images. Up to 30 can be resized together.
- Pick a quick size or type a width or height. With Keep each image’s proportions ticked, every image keeps its own shape: set 1200 wide and a portrait photo becomes 1200 wide too, just taller.
- For a fixed shape such as 1080 × 1080, untick proportions or choose a social preset. Then decide when the shape differs: crop from the center, fit inside with edges, or stretch.
- Choose the output format and quality, compare on the preview, and download.
Crop, fit or stretch?
When the new shape does not match the photo, something has to give. Pixdesk offers the three standard answers:
| Option | What happens | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Crop to fill | Scales the image until it covers the whole frame, then trims the overflow equally from both sides | Social posts, thumbnails, profile photos |
| Fit inside | Scales the image until it fits, then adds edges (white for JPG, transparent or white for PNG and WebP) | Product photos on a fixed canvas, logos |
| Stretch | Forces the exact size and distorts the picture | Only when distortion does not matter, such as textures |
The preview uses the same framing on both sides of the divider, so you can see exactly what is cut off before you download.
Picking the right size
Use the size the image will actually be shown at, times two for sharp high-density (“Retina”) screens. A blog column 800 px wide looks crisp with a 1600 px image; going bigger only adds bytes. For social media, the platforms publish their own numbers: Instagram keeps photos up to 1080 px wide with shapes between 1.91:1 and 3:4, Meta recommends link-preview images of at least 1200 × 630, and YouTube asks for 16:9 thumbnails at least 640 px wide. Our social media image size guide lists every platform with its official source and a one-click resize button.
Enlarging is allowed, but it cannot invent detail. When the output is bigger than the original, Pixdesk warns that the result may look soft.
Format and quality after resizing
Resizing alone already shrinks files a lot: halving the width removes three quarters of the pixels. Keep Same as original to stay compatible, choose WebP for the web, or JPG when an upload form insists. Quality 85% is the default for resized photos because downscaled images are viewed at full size, where artifacts are easier to spot. If a destination has a byte limit, fill in Max file size as well and Pixdesk lowers the quality until the file fits, without changing your chosen dimensions.
Everything happens inside this browser tab. Pixdesk reads your files with the browser’s own image decoder, redraws them on a canvas in a background worker and saves the new file with the browser’s encoder. There is no upload endpoint on pixdesk.cc, and the page makes no network request while it works. You can check that yourself in two minutes with your browser’s Network panel.
Frequently asked questions
How do I resize an image without losing quality?
Make it smaller rather than larger, keep proportions, and use quality 85% or more for JPG or WebP. Reducing size always keeps the image sharp; enlarging cannot add real detail.
Can I resize several images to the same width?
Yes. Tick Keep each image’s proportions and type the width. Every image in the batch gets that width and its own height, so nothing is distorted.
How do I resize to an exact size like 1080 by 1080?
Choose the Instagram square preset or untick proportions and type both numbers. Pick Crop to fill to trim the edges or Fit inside to add a border instead.
Can I resize by percentage?
Yes. The size preset list has 25%, 50% and 75%. Each image is scaled by that percentage of its own dimensions.
What is the largest size I can make?
Up to 8,000 pixels per side and 40 megapixels in total, which is the limit browsers can handle reliably, especially on phones.
Does resizing remove EXIF data?
Yes. The resized file is drawn fresh and contains only pixels, so camera details and GPS coordinates are not copied.
Can I resize HEIC photos from an iPhone?
Yes. HEIC files are decoded in the browser and saved as JPG, or as PNG or WebP if you choose.
Are my images uploaded?
No. Resizing runs in your browser tab and Pixdesk has no upload server.
Sources
- Instagram Help Center: Image resolution of photos you share — up to 1080 px wide; ratios from 1.91:1 to 3:4
- Meta for Developers: Images in link shares — at least 1200 × 630 px, close to 1.91:1, up to 8 MB
- YouTube Help: Add video thumbnails — 3840 × 2160 recommended, at least 640 px wide, 16:9, 2 MB on mobile and 50 MB on desktop
Sources checked on 19 October 2026.