Why crop
Cropping removes distractions and puts the subject where you want it. It is also how you change an image's shape: a landscape phone photo becomes a square profile picture, a vertical story or a widescreen banner. Because cropping removes pixels rather than shrinking them, what remains keeps its full sharpness.
How to use it
- Choose one image. The tool works on a single image at a time.
- Pick a ratio: Free, original ratio, 1:1, 4:5, 3:4, 2:3, 3:2, 4:3, 16:9 or 9:16.
- Drag the crop box to position it, and drag any of its eight handles to change its size. This works with a mouse and with touch.
- For exact results, type the X, Y, width and height values in pixels.
- Choose the output format: the same as the input (JPG, PNG or WebP) or another one.
- Download the cropped image.
While you drag, a rule-of-thirds grid appears over the box. When the crop box has keyboard focus, the arrow keys move it, which helps with fine positioning. The image is cropped in your browser and is not uploaded.
Which ratio for what
| Ratio | Common uses |
|---|---|
| 1:1 | Profile pictures, square posts, product thumbnails |
| 4:5 | Portrait posts in social feeds |
| 9:16 | Stories, Reels, vertical video covers |
| 16:9 | Video thumbnails, presentations, widescreen banners |
| 3:2 or 2:3 | Classic photo prints such as 10 × 15 cm |
| 4:3 or 3:4 | The native shape of many phone cameras |
Platforms change their recommended sizes from time to time, so check the current guidance of the site you are posting to. If you want exact platform sizes in one step, the social media image resizer crops and scales to presets.
Composition tips
The rule-of-thirds grid divides the frame into nine parts. Placing a person's eyes or the horizon along one of the lines usually looks more balanced than putting everything in the middle. For portraits, leave a little space above the head and in the direction the person is looking. For product photos, a centered subject with even margins often works better.
If the photo is tilted or sideways, rotate or straighten it first, then crop.
Crop and resize are different steps
The crop is pixel-exact: the output contains exactly the pixels inside the box, with no scaling. If you take a square crop of the full height of a 4000 × 3000 photo, you get a 3000 × 3000 image, not 1080 × 1080. To reach a specific pixel size, crop to the right ratio here, then use Resize image.
Frequently asked questions
Can I crop several photos at once?
No. This tool crops one image at a time, because each photo usually needs its own framing.
Will cropping reduce quality?
The crop itself does not scale anything. When the result is saved as JPG or WebP, the image is encoded again, which can cause a very small loss; PNG output is lossless.
How do I make a photo square without cutting anything off?
Use Make image square, which adds space around the photo instead of cropping it.
Can I set an exact pixel size for the crop?
Yes. Type the X and Y position and the width and height in pixels, and the box snaps to those values.