- Rebecca Tomasis
- Apr 8
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 17
Resizing an image seems like a small task, but it can have a big impact. Whether you’re creating a website, crafting invitations for a PTA event or learning how to edit photos, understanding how to properly resize an image is essential for creating professional, polished designs. A resized image not only fits your layout better but also ensures your final result has the quality and resolution it needs.
This article will guide you through everything you need to know about resizing images. From the basics of what it is and why it matters, to best practices, we’ll help you create better visuals with confidence and ease.
Learn more about graphic design essentials and sharpen your skills.
What is image resizing?
Resizing an image means changing its dimensions—width, height or both—while maintaining its quality. This can involve shrinking a photo for better website performance or enlarging one without causing pixelation, depending on your needs.
Imagine uploading a massive photo to your website. Its size might cause slow page loads, frustrating visitors and affecting your SEO. Alternatively, think about printing a banner with a low-resolution image—it might lose clarity and appear blurry. Resizing ensures your image meets the specific requirements of its intended use, whether it’s a sleek Instagram square, a high-resolution print or an optimized digital design.
Maintaining the right dimensions impacts how viewers perceive your designs. A correctly resized image looks clean, professional and aligned with its purpose. On the other hand, an improperly resized image can seem stretched, pixelated or just “off.” This technical step lays the foundation for all great design.
How to resize an image in 5 steps
01. Select the right image resizer
There are many tools available to help with creative projects, each offering unique features and capabilities. Whether you need a professional solution or something more beginner-friendly, the right tool depends on your needs. For example, the Wixel image resizer offers quick and easy resizing with professional-grade results.
Discover these specialized image resizers tailored to your specific needs:
02. Save an original copy
Before resizing, make sure to save the unedited original image file. This ensures that you always have access to the full-resolution version if you need to make changes or edits later on. Keeping the original file intact also allows you to create different versions of the image for various purposes without losing quality. It’s a simple step that can save time and effort in the long run.
03. Understand aspect ratio
Aspect ratio refers to the proportional relationship between an image’s width and height and it plays a key role in how an image appears when resized. For instance, a square image has an aspect ratio of 1:1, meaning its width and height are equal. On the other hand, a rectangular banner might have an aspect ratio of 4:1—four times wider than it is tall—or 16:9, which is commonly used for videos and widescreen displays.
Understanding aspect ratios is essential to maintaining the quality of your visuals. Resizing an image without considering its aspect ratio can lead to distortion, where the image looks stretched, squished or blurry. To avoid this, always scale images proportionally, ensuring they retain their original balance and sharpness.
04. Know your resolution requirements
Different platforms and purposes have varying resolution requirements for images to ensure optimal quality and performance, which is a key consideration in any effective marketing strategy. For print design, such as brochures, posters or magazines, a higher resolution of at least 300 dpi (dots per inch) is necessary to produce crisp, clear and professional-looking results. This is because printed images require a high level of detail to avoid appearing blurry or pixelated.
On the other hand, web images are typically optimized at a lower resolution of 72 dpi. This lower resolution is sufficient for maintaining quality on digital screens while ensuring faster loading times, which is critical for enhancing user experience, website performance, and overall marketing impact. Understanding these differences is key to selecting the right resolution for your specific needs and developing a strong marketing strategy.
05. Use the right file format
When saving resized images, it’s important to pick the right file format for their purpose. JPEG is great for web use, offering good quality with small file sizes for faster loading. PNG works best for print materials, high-quality images, and transparent backgrounds like logos. For scalable graphics like icons, SVG is ideal as it keeps quality at any size. HEIC provides high-quality images on Apple devices with smaller sizes than JPEG. Finally, WebP is a modern, web-friendly format offering excellent quality and smaller sizes than JPEG. Choosing the right format ensures your images look great and perform well.
Learn more about image file types to choose the right one for your design project.
Key reasons to resize images
Resizing your images isn’t just about making them fit—properly resized images not only improve the visual appeal of your content but also enhance loading times and optimize performance. They ensure your images look their best across different platforms, whether it’s a website, social media or mobile device, while maintaining quality and consistency.
Customizing for print
When designing printed materials like business cards or wedding invitations, using correctly resized, high-resolution images (at least 300 dpi) ensures sharp and clear results. High-resolution images also prevent visuals from appearing pixelated when enlarged significantly
Optimizing for web use
Resizing images for websites keeps them high-quality while maintaining fast load times, improving both aesthetics and performance. For web, images should usually have a resolution of 72 dpi and fit within recommended pixel widths to balance quality and performance.
Make sure your visuals always fit the bill. Our resizer tool quickly adjusts dimensions to fit any project or platform—maintaining crisp quality every time.
Preparing for social media
Different platforms have unique social media image sizes and requirements. By resizing accordingly, your posts look sharp and professional. Instagram favors square or 4:5 ratios, Facebook works best with rectangular banners and LinkedIn requires specific banner sizes for profiles. Adjusting to these dimensions ensures your content appears polished on every platform.
Saving storage space
Resized images consume less storage, making them especially useful when working with extensive collections of files for personal or professional projects. By reducing file sizes, you not only free up valuable space on your devices but also improve upload and download speeds, streamline sharing across platforms and enhance overall efficiency in managing your digital assets.
Ready to elevate your editing expertise? Explore our guides:
How to resize an image FAQ
What's the difference between resizing, cropping and scaling?
Resizing and scaling both involve changing the dimensions of an image. Resizing keeps proportions intact, while scaling changes them. Cropping, on the other hand, trims off portions outside of a specified area.
