How to crop an image
Cropping removes pixels outside a rectangle you define — useful for profile photos, video thumbnails, and banner art that must fit fixed aspect ratios. Everything runs locally on your machine.
- Upload an image — add a JPG, PNG, WebP, or other supported format.
- Choose an aspect ratio — Free, 1:1, 4:3, or 16:9 presets constrain crop proportions for common platforms.
- Set crop size — enter width and height in pixels for the export region.
- Position with offsets — adjust Offset X and Offset Y to move the crop window across the image.
- Crop & download — save only the selected area as a new file.
Aspect ratio presets explained
| Preset | Ratio | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Any | Custom banners, irregular layouts, removing edges |
| 1:1 | Square | Instagram posts, avatars, app icons |
| 4:3 | Classic photo | Presentations, older displays, some print frames |
| 16:9 | Widescreen | YouTube thumbnails, hero banners, video stills |
Presets lock width-to-height proportion so your export fits platform requirements without accidental stretching. Switch to Free when you need an exact pixel box that does not match a standard ratio.
Crop dimensions vs full image size
Crop width and height define the output file dimensions, not the original photo size. A 4000 × 3000 source might export a 1080 × 1080 square for social — the tool samples only the region inside your crop rectangle.
Offset X moves the crop window horizontally (from the left edge of the source). Offset Y moves it vertically (from the top). Keep offsets within bounds so the crop rectangle stays inside the image; the tool will surface an error if values are invalid.
Crop vs resize
Cropping cuts away outer areas — total pixel count drops because content is discarded. Resizing scales the entire image to new dimensions. Use crop when composition matters (centering a face, removing a distracting edge). Use resize when you need the whole frame at a smaller file size.
Tips for clean crops
- Leave breathing room around faces in avatar crops — tight 1:1 cuts can clip hair or chins.
- For 16:9 banners, place important subjects near the horizontal center; edges may crop on mobile.
- Export at the final display size when possible — crop to 1200 × 630 for Open Graph rather than cropping huge then downsizing elsewhere.
- Work from the highest-resolution source so the cropped region stays sharp.