Three controls, three different results
Neither fill nor fit stretches the subject. When the source and destination have different proportions, something must give: crop away edges or leave space. The preview shows that trade-off before you prepare a file.
| Control | Changes | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Crop to fill | Which part of the image is visible | A destination needs a filled frame with no borders. |
| Fit the whole photo inside | The photo’s size within the canvas | You must keep all edges, even with padding. |
| Output dimensions | The pixel size of the final file | You want a smaller download with the same composition. |
Worked example: landscape photo to square
Suppose the original is 1600 × 1000 pixels and the destination is 800 × 800. At 100% zoom, Crop to fill scales the original to 1280 × 800. The square can show only 800 of those 1280 horizontal pixels, so 480 pixels of the scaled image lie outside the frame. A centred crop removes equal amounts from the left and right.
Fit the whole photo instead scales it to 800 × 500. That leaves 300 pixels of vertical space in the square: 150 above and 150 below when centred. Move the image to change where that space falls. This is a dimension calculation, not a claim that your own file will have a particular compressed size.
Set an exact canvas and frame the subject
- Search for “800 by 800 JPG”, then choose Use this. In the custom controls, confirm width 800 and height 800.
- Keep Output dimensions at 100% if the receiver requires exactly 800 × 800.
- Select Crop to fill the destination or Fit the whole photo inside. Drag in the preview, or use the horizontal and vertical position sliders.
- Use Zoom to make the subject larger or smaller. Zooming out can expose padding. Reset framing returns zoom, position, rotation and flip to their defaults.
- For a batch, choose each Photo to frame and review it separately. The destination and output scale apply to the batch, while framing is individual. Prepare only when every photo looks right.
Make it smaller without mixing up the controls
Zoom at 50% makes the photo smaller within the selected canvas; it does not halve the canvas dimensions. Output dimensions at 50% changes an 800 × 800 canvas into a 400 × 400 download. If you need exactly 800 × 800 with more space around the subject, leave output scale at 100% and adjust Zoom or Fit instead.
For width-only resizing, the tool keeps natural proportions and does not enlarge a source that is already narrower than the chosen width. For exact width and height, choose a fixed frame. Enlarging a small original cannot create real detail; use a larger source when sharpness matters.
Special care with documents
Do not crop away page edges, stamps or signatures when the whole document is required. Padding and cropping may be prohibited for official photographs. A correct outer size says nothing about head height, background rules or document acceptance. Use the current receiving authority’s instructions before editing those images.