Is it possible to resize a photo on Windows effectively? Yes, absolutely! This comprehensive guide, brought to you by dfphoto.net, will show you how to resize images on Windows, covering various methods to achieve your desired outcome, whether for better performance or visual aesthetics. You’ll discover techniques for both enlarging and reducing image sizes while maintaining the best possible quality. Explore the world of image manipulation and visual enhancement on dfphoto.net!
1. What Windows Photo Editing Apps Can I Use to Resize Photos?
You can use several Windows photo editing apps, including MS Paint, Photos app, Paint 3D, and PowerToys, to resize photos. Each offers unique features and caters to different user needs, with Paint being a simple, built-in tool, and PowerToys offering advanced capabilities.
1.1. How to Resize an Image on Windows Using MS Paint?
MS Paint, a raster image editor included with Windows since 1985, lets you resize images with these steps:
Step 1: Open Paint. Go to File > Open and choose your file.
Step 2: Go to File > Image Properties.
Screenshot of how to access Image Properties in Microsoft Paint
Step 3: In Image Properties, change the Width and Height, for example, from 2400 x 1600 to 1152 x 648.
Screenshot of how to change image dimensions in Image Properties of Microsoft Paint
Step 4: Save a copy of the resized image by going to File > Save As and choosing a file format (PNG, JPEG, BMP, GIF, or other formats).
While MS Paint is simple and free, it lacks resampling, which means reducing an image from 1000px to 500px doesn’t decrease the file size.
| Pros of MS Paint | Cons of MS Paint |
|---|---|
| Free and no download needed | Doesn’t offer resampling |
| Simple three-step process | May not support as many formats as other image converters |
| Supports basic functions like drawing shapes |
1.2. How Can I Resize an Image on Windows Using the Photos App?
The MS Photos app, which includes image viewing, organizing, sharing, and basic video editing, has been available since Windows 8 (2012). It may automatically resize large images, but you can also resize other images manually:
Step 1: Open your image with Photos. Double-click the image if Photos is your default viewer, or right-click and select Open With > Photos.
Step 2: Click the more icon (three dots) and select Resize.
Screenshot of how to access the resize function in Microsoft Photos
Step 3: Choose a recommended resizing option (e.g., Best for Thumbnails) or set custom dimensions.
Screenshot of Resize Options in the Photos App
Step 4: Choose a location to save your new resized file.
Screenshot of File Explorer showing the Save as Type options
Step 5: Edit the File name and Save as Type to export the image to different image formats.
Like MS Paint, the Photos app lacks a resampling feature.
| Pros of using Photos | Cons of using Photos |
|---|---|
| Quick and easy | Doesn’t come with a resampling feature |
| Can export images to up to 8 formats | No support for next-gen formats such as WEBP |
| Free and doesn’t require third-party downloads | |
| Recommends appropriate sizes for different uses |
1.3. How Can I Resize An Image on Windows With Paint 3D?
Paint 3D, an improved version of Paint with 3D object support, comes pre-installed on Windows 10 and can be freely installed from the Microsoft Store on Windows 11. This offers a good resizing feature that locks in aspect ratio or uses preset sizes to ensure your blog images follow a constant image ratio.
Step 1: Launch Paint 3D. Select Open > Open Files.
Screenshot of launching Paint 3D
Step 2: Select the file path in File Explorer.
Step 3: From the top menu, choose Canvas.
Screenshot of choosing Canvas from Paint 3D
Step 4: Resize the Canvas from the left-hand panel. Tip: Lock the aspect ratio and resize the image with the canvas.
Screenshot of Paint 3D canvas settings
Step 5: Change the width or height (e.g., from 2400px to 1200px), and the changes will apply dynamically.
Step 6: Save a copy of the resized image via Menu > Save As, choosing a file format and name.
| Pros of using Paint 3D | Cons of Paint 3D |
|---|---|
| Allows you to lock the aspect ratio | Doesn’t provide a resampling feature |
| Resize the image independently of the canvas | No support for next-gen or vector formats |
| Easy to use and doesn’t require downloads | |
| Supports more image formats than Paint and Photos |
1.4. How Can I Resize An Image on Windows Using PowerToys?
Microsoft PowerToys expands your Windows functions for greater productivity, with many features for developers and power users, including an image resizer.
After installing PowerToys, launch it and select Image Resizer. You can follow the quick tutorial. Custom sizes can be specified via “Open Settings.”
Screenshot of the Image Resizer tool in PowerToys
Screenshot of Image Resizer image size settings
This tool supports bulk resizing, unlike other native methods.
Step 1: Right-click one or more images and select Resize Pictures.
Step 2: Choose your resizing options.
Screenshot of using Image Resizer to edit images
Step 3: Finish by selecting Resize.
2. How Do Chrome Extensions Help Resize Images on Windows?
Chrome extensions offer a convenient way to resize images directly in your browser. You can use extensions from the Chrome Webstore on Microsoft Edge, thanks to its Chromium base. Several free and easy-to-use extensions are available.
2.1. How to Use the Resizing App Chrome Extension?
The Resizing App is a handy Chrome plugin for quickly resizing images.
It provides quick functions for resizing by Width, Height, Largest Side, Percentage, or custom size settings. To use, click the Extension icon and upload your image.
Screenshot of using the Image Resizer Chrome plugin to resize images
You can also optimize images while preserving dimensions.
2.2. How to Use the Bulk Resize Chrome Extension?
The Bulk Resize plugin offers features to resize multiple images at once. You can specify custom image dimensions, width, height, longest side values, or reduce image sizes by percentage.
Screenshot of the Bulk Resize first page
It is useful for reducing file size by varying image quality or specifying a file size limit.
Screenshot of the Bulk Resize settings
2.3. How to Use The Bulk Image Resize Chrome Extension?
The Bulk Image Resize plugin supports formats like GIF, TIF, JPEG, and PNG, offering options to download images in a zip file or individually. Pin the Extension to the toolbar for easy access.
Screenshot of selecting files to upload for resizing with the plugin
Choose the dimensions to resize images and set preferences for mismatched image ratios.
Screenshot of choosing aspect ratios in the Bulk Image Resize plugin
3. What Third-Party Software Can I Use to Resize Images on Windows?
Third-party software allows offline image resizing without tedious download processes, and many tools can process numerous photos quickly.
3.1. What is Batch Photo and How Can It Resize Images?
BatchPhoto™ is a professional image manipulation program for Windows and Mac. It performs various edits on multiple photos, including watermarks, special effects, renaming, and time stamps. Its Folder Watch monitors for new photos and adds predefined edits, and it supports 170 formats, making it reliable for professional use.
Screenshot of the BatchPhoto homepage for download
Screenshot of BatchPhoto on the desktop
3.2. What is Light Image Resizer and How Can It Resize Images?
The Light Image Resizer offers advanced resizing with the ability to retain aspect ratio. It provides preset resizing profiles, including mobile phone screen sizes.
Screenshot of Light Image Resizer uploading images
The tool can remove image backgrounds (powered by remove.bg), requiring image uploads.
Screenshot of Light Image Resizer settings
The free version processes up to 100 images.
3.3. What is Fotosizer and How Can It Resize Images?
Fotosizer is available in Standard and Professional editions. The Standard Edition includes basic batch editing features like resizing, rotation, and format changes. The Professional Edition adds:
- Watermarks
- Rounded corners
- Image color adjustments (contrast, saturation, hue, shadows)
- Text on images
Screenshot of the Fotosizer homepage
4. How to Resize Images Without Losing Quality With AI Image Resizers?
AI tools are revolutionizing image resizing on Windows by maintaining high quality without typical enlargement losses. Machine Learning algorithms use self-taught neural networks exposed to millions of images to adaptively compress and enlarge images, assigning different bitrates to various parts.
Popular AI image resizers include:
| AI Image Resizer | Description |
|---|---|
| VanceAI Image Enlarger | Known for its user-friendly interface and effective upscaling algorithms. |
| Let’s Enhance | Utilizes AI to enhance details and textures during the resizing process. |
| AI. Image Enlarger | Focuses on creating sharper and clearer images while increasing their size. |
| Icons8 Smart Upscaler | Simplifies the process of upscaling images with minimal quality loss. |
Other notable AI resizers include Uploadcare Smart Resize and Spyne.ai, offering photographers and designers expanded options.
Using AI image resizers is intuitive. For example, with AI. Image Enlarger, upload your image and select the scaling option from 200% to 800%.
AI Image Enlarger interface showing before and after effects of image enhancement
For instructions on resizing images for passport photos, see our guide on how to convert a picture to passport size.
5. How Can I Resize Images Using The “Send To Mail Recipient” Function?
Another quick way to resize multiple images in Windows without installing an app is using the “Send to Mail Recipient” function, ideal for emailing images.
To use it:
Step 1: Select multiple photos.
Step 2: Right-click and select Send to > Mail Recipient (if you don’t see Send to, choose “Show More Options.”).
Step 3: Choose the image dimensions in the Attach Files wizard.
Screenshot of the Attach file to resize with email option
Step 4: This launches Outlook (if it’s the default email client), allowing you to personalize the email.
6. What Are The Best Microsoft Store Apps to Resize Images?
The Microsoft Store provides tools for resizing images:
6.1. How to Use The Bulk Image Resize App by Valley Software?
Bulk Image Resize offers resampling with different modes:
- Average
- Bicubic
- Nearest Neighbor
These methods add new information when enlarging images, improving quality. This app also provides standard resizing functions, allowing you to add photos from multiple locations, sizes, and aspect ratios. Images can be resized by percentage or predefined boundaries.
Screenshot of the Bulk Image Resize app interface
6.2. How to Use The Resize Image App by Get-the-solution?
This app performs its core function of resizing photos effectively, with support for next-gen image formats like WebP and the ability to preserve aspect ratio.
Screenshot of the Resize Image Windows Store app interface
6.3. How to Use The Pixillion Image Converter App by NCH Software?
Pixillion helps convert image formats and resize images.
Screenshot of Resize image settings on Pixillion NCH Software
It scales images by percentage, predefined frame size, or longest side and preserves aspect ratio. It also offers control over final image quality by choosing sharp square or smooth blurry pixels during upscaling or downscaling.
7. What is the Best Way to Resize Images in Bulk on Windows?
You can resize multiple images at once on Windows using these methods:
- Google Chrome extension, such as Bulk Resize
- Third-party tools, such as Batch Photo
- App from the Microsoft Store, such as Bulk Image Resize
- Windows native app, such as PowerToys
- Utilizing the Send to > Mail Recipient function from File Explorer
8. Which Image Resizing Methods Should I Use Depending on My Goals?
Here is a summary of tools you can use to resize an image on Windows:
| Method | Tools | Biggest pros | Biggest cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native | Paint Photos Paint 3D PowerToys | Quick edits No downloads Free usage Single edits | No support for resampling Limited support for bulk resizing (PowerToys) |
| Web browser plugins | Resizing app Bulk Resize Bulk Image Resize | Bulk edits Resizing photos on the web Free usage | Some may need internet access May require uploading photos Depends on browser support |
| Desktop third-party apps | BatchPhoto™ Light Image Resizer Fotosizer | Advanced photo manipulations Bulk resizing Offline access | Many tools may require paid version for full access Few tools offering resampling |
| Send to > Mail Recipient function | Sending resized image via email No downloads Native method | Preconfigured image sizes Lack of other photo manipulations | |
| Windows store apps | Bulk Image Resize Resize Image Pixillion | Resampling support on some tools (Bulk Image Resize) Plenty of free options Offline access Advanced photo manipulations Bulk resizing | Need to purchase ad-free versions Limited to newer versions of Windows with Store App |
9. Frequently Asked Questions
9.1. What Is a Raster File?
A raster file is an image format where the image is defined by pixels. The pixel’s location in the grid, their size, and colors are defined with numbers.
9.2. What Is Image Resizing?
Image resizing refers to making an image smaller or larger by changing its dimensions, quality, and file size.
9.3. What Is Batch Resizing?
Batch resizing means altering the image dimensions of multiple images simultaneously, saving time when dealing with many files.
9.4. Does Resizing Affect Image Quality?
Resizing may not affect the perceivable image quality if the image occupies a small screen size. However, quality is affected if the photo is magnified.
9.5. Does Resizing an Image Change the File Size?
Yes, resizing an image changes the file size because there will be a loss of information unless resampling is disabled.
9.6. Why Does My Image Get Blurry When I Make It Smaller?
An image shouldn’t typically get blurry when made smaller. This could be due to resolution settings or the resizing tool producing smaller, blurry pixels instead of sharp pixels.
9.7. How Can You Resize Images on Windows Without Losing Quality?
To resize images without quality loss, use a tool with resampling, such as Adobe Photoshop (for professional use) or Bulk Image Resize (from the Chrome plugin store) for bulk functions.
9.8. Can You Reduce File Size Without Losing Quality?
You can reduce the file size of an image using a lossless compression tool and saving the file in a lossless format like PNG. If the file size is still too large, use a next-gen format like WebP.
10. Conclusion
There are many ways to resize images on Windows. Native options include Photos, Paint, and Paint 3D, but these lack bulk resizing (except for PowerToys). Third-party tools, online converters, and Microsoft Store Apps can provide this feature. Remember that resizing involves a loss of information (unless using an SVG file), so retain the original file. To improve image quality when enlarging, use a tool that supports resampling.
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