Crop Image
Crop a photo freely or to 1:1, 4:5, 3:4, 16:9 and banner ratios, or to exact Instagram, YouTube, X and LinkedIn pixel sizes. Runs in your browser.
The interactive tool loads here when JavaScript runs.
About this toolWhat is the Crop Image tool?
Open a photo, pick a shape and drag the frame over the part you want to keep. The crop box can be free, locked to a ratio such as 1:1, 4:5, 3:4, 2:3, 3:2, 16:9, 9:16, 1.91:1 or 3:1, or locked to the shape of the original. The frame starts as the largest box of that ratio, centred, so in most cases you only nudge it and download.
For social media you can pick a target size instead of a ratio: Instagram square (1080 x 1080), portrait (1080 x 1350) and landscape (1080 x 566), Story or Reel (1080 x 1920), YouTube thumbnail (1280 x 720), YouTube banner (2048 x 1152), X header (1500 x 500), LinkedIn background (1584 x 396) or an Open Graph link preview (1200 x 630). The crop is then scaled to exactly that many pixels, and the tool warns you when your crop has fewer pixels than the target, because enlarging makes the picture softer.
Everything happens in your browser. The photo is not uploaded, and the saved file contains only pixels, so EXIF details such as GPS location and camera serial number are left behind.
- Free, original-ratio and 10 fixed aspect ratios
- Nine social media sizes with exact pixel output
- Drag handles, keyboard nudging and numeric fields
- Upscaling warning when the crop is too small for the target
- PNG, JPEG or WebP output with quality control
- Browser-only processing; EXIF and GPS data are not copied
How to use the Crop Image tool
- Choose an image or drop it on the box. A sample photo is shown until you do.
- Pick an aspect ratio, or pick a social media size to lock both the ratio and the output pixels.
- Drag inside the frame to move it and drag the corner or edge handles to resize it. Arrow keys move it by 1 pixel, Shift + arrow by 10.
- Type exact values in the Left, Top, Width and Height fields if you need a precise crop.
- Choose PNG, JPEG or WebP (with a quality slider for the lossy formats) and download.
Worked examples
Square crop from a landscape photo
Input
1920 x 1080 image, 1:1 ratio
Output
1080 x 1080 crop starting 420 px from the left
The largest square fits the full height. (1920 - 1080) / 2 = 420 px are trimmed from each side.
Instagram portrait from a 12 MP phone photo
Input
4000 x 3000 photo, Instagram post, portrait 4:5
Output
2400 x 3000 crop, saved at 1080 x 1350
3000 x 4/5 = 2400 px wide. The crop has more pixels than Instagram needs, so it is scaled down and stays sharp.
Thumbnail from a vertical video frame
Input
1080 x 1920 screenshot, YouTube thumbnail 16:9
Output
1080 x 608 crop, enlarged to 1280 x 720 with a softness warning
A 16:9 strip of a portrait frame is only 608 px tall, so the tool tells you the result will be upscaled.
Background and insight
Cropping changes the aspect ratio (width divided by height) and the pixel count, and the two are often confused. A 4000 x 3000 photo cropped to 4:5 becomes 2400 x 3000; it keeps its full height and loses 1600 columns. Scaling that crop to 1080 x 1350 for Instagram is a separate step that throws away more pixels but does not change the shape. This tool keeps the two steps visible: the crop box sets the shape, the social size sets the final pixel dimensions.
Platforms publish their preferred sizes in their help centres and change them from time to time. Instagram has long accepted feed photos up to 1080 pixels wide with ratios from 1.91:1 landscape to 4:5 portrait, and in 2025 its profile grid moved to taller 3:4 thumbnails, which is why 3:4 is listed. YouTube asks for 16:9 thumbnails at 1280 x 720 and a 2048 x 1152 channel banner with a centred safe area. X recommends 1500 x 500 for the header and LinkedIn 1584 x 396 for the profile background. The sizes here were checked in October 2026; the crop itself works at any ratio.
Browsers apply the EXIF orientation tag when they decode a photo, so a portrait shot from a phone appears upright here even when its raw pixels are stored sideways. The crop is taken from the upright picture and saved upright, with no orientation tag left to confuse other apps.
Common use cases
Social posts and profiles
Make a photo fit an Instagram post, a Story, an X header or a LinkedIn banner without the platform cropping it for you.
Thumbnails and link previews
Cut 16:9 YouTube thumbnails and 1200 x 630 Open Graph images from screenshots or photos.
Profile pictures and avatars
Crop a square around a face before uploading to a chat app, forum or CV site.
Cleaning up screenshots
Remove browser chrome, taskbars and other people's messages before sharing a screen capture.
Tips and limitations
- Crop before you resize. Choosing the shape first keeps the pixels you care about; resizing first can leave too few pixels for a tight crop.
- Watch the upscaling warning. If the crop is smaller than the target size, pick a wider area or a higher-resolution original.
- Leave space around faces and text for platforms that overlay buttons or round the corners, such as Stories and profile photos shown in a circle.
- PNG keeps every pixel exactly but makes large photo files; JPEG at 85 to 90% is usually the better choice for photographs.
- Platforms re-encode uploads. Uploading at exactly their recommended size avoids a second, lower-quality resize on their side.
- Very large images (above roughly 16,000 pixels on a side or 250 megapixels) may exceed the browser's canvas limits; resize them first.
Frequently asked questions
What size should I crop a photo for an Instagram post?
Instagram displays feed photos at up to 1080 pixels wide. Use 1080 x 1080 for square, 1080 x 1350 (4:5) for portrait, which takes up the most screen space in the feed, and 1080 x 566 (1.91:1) for landscape. The profile grid now shows 3:4 thumbnails, so keep the subject away from the top and bottom edges of a 4:5 post.
Does cropping reduce image quality?
Cropping itself only removes pixels; the ones you keep are unchanged. Quality drops when the smaller crop is enlarged to a bigger size, or when it is saved as JPEG or WebP at a low quality setting. Save as PNG for an exact copy of the kept pixels.
What is the difference between aspect ratio and resolution?
Aspect ratio is the shape, width divided by height (16:9, 4:5). Resolution is the pixel count (1920 x 1080). A 3840 x 2160 frame and a 1280 x 720 frame are both 16:9 but have very different detail.
Why does my crop look blurry after downloading?
Usually because a small crop was scaled up to a large social size. The tool shows a warning when that happens. Choose a larger crop area or start from a higher-resolution photo.
Can I crop to an exact pixel size like 1200 x 630?
Yes. Pick Open Graph link preview, or use the numeric fields with a free ratio to set the crop and keep its own pixels. Social sizes scale the crop to the exact dimensions.
Is my photo uploaded anywhere?
No. The image is decoded and cropped by your browser on your device. Nothing is sent to a server, and the downloaded file does not include the original EXIF metadata.
Why is my phone photo sideways in other apps but upright here?
Phones often store pixels sideways and add an EXIF orientation tag. Browsers honour the tag; some older apps do not. The cropped file is saved with upright pixels and no tag, so it looks the same everywhere.
Is there an in-depth guide to the Crop Image tool?
Yes. “How to Crop Photos for Social Media: Ratios, Pixels and Composition” covers the background, how it works, common pitfalls and worked examples. Read the full guide.
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