There is the Photos app, which appears as the default for Windows 10 to view and edit images. It's far from feature-rich compared to Photoshop or GIMP, but in a pinch it's a quick way to resize an image without having to download third-party software.
First, find the image you wish to resize on your computer.
Right-click on the image file and then select Open with; you will then follow it by choosing Photos. This then opens the image in the Photos app, where you can view and edit the image.
In the Photos app, you find at the top-right corner of the window a three dots (more options) button. Then from the dropdown menu click Edit Image. This will open the image editing options. Then, you choose the Resize option.
Now you're in the editing menu. Look for the Crop & Rotate button in your toolbar, it's represented by a square with a small crop symbol inside. Click on that button.
The crop and rotate options come up with the resize button at the bottom
The Resize section lets you shrink or enlarge the image. You can resize the image either by percentage or pixel dimensions. You can opt to do either:
Resize by percentage: Type in a percentage value that will compress or expand the image. For example, if you set this value to 50%, the image will be shrunk to half of its original size.
Resize by pixel dimensions: Type in specific pixel dimensions for width and height. For example, if you want your image to be 1200 pixels wide, type "1200" in the width box, and the height will automatically be adjusted if you have Maintain aspect ratio selected.
If you do not like your image being distorted, check Maintain aspect ratio. It ensures that when changing one dimension-whatever its height or width, then the other one changes as well in proportion so it will not get distorted at all.
The moment the box is left unchecked the image will have its room to resize without distortion which might distort your image whenever you are expanding its dimensions. Save resized image
Once you've shrunk your image to the size you need, click Save a copy if you want the original file to remain whole, or click Save over top of the existing file.
You will be asked to locate where you'd like to save the new, resized image, as well as the format in which it is saved. Often times the default is JPG or PNG, but if that does not work for you, you will have other options.
Why image resizing is important. Before getting into other methods, it is quite critical to understand why the resize of images should be performed. There are several scenarios whereby images must be resized:
Reduce file size for faster uploads: Very large image files can drag your web page loading down or even be too large to upload on social media sites or via email. The resize process can diminish very significantly the file size of images without as much loss of quality.
Print Readiness: Images are sized to specific dimensions and resolutions, typically 300 DPI for high-quality print resolution. The image will fall within the printable area and print well when this resizes.
Fit Social Media Requirements: Social media services have different size requirements for images (e.g., Facebook cover photos, Instagram posts, Twitter profile pictures). Resizing of images will ensure they look good on all platforms.
The Photos app is one of the easiest tools you can use to resize an image, however, there are a couple of other tools available either natively in Windows 10 or through third-party applications you might find useful. Some alternatives include: -
Another tool that Windows 10 has natively is Microsoft Paint. Using it is very easy to resize images. It is not as feature rich as the Photos app, but incredibly useful if you just want to crop and resize images for sharing on social media or otherwise quickly sharing with others.
To open the image file you downloaded, right-click it and select Open with > Paint.
Resize an Image:Once you have Paint open, a window will appear where you click the Home tab. In this Home tab, select the Resize button. The resize option has a dialog box with two options to change: Percentage or Pixels. Type your desired dimensions in the Horizontal and Vertical fields, or enter the percentage for the resize. Keep Aspect Ratio
Choose Maintain aspect ratio to ensure that the picture is not stretched.
After resizing your picture click on File > Save As. You can just overwrite your original if you desire. Alternatively, you may use third-party software.
For more complex resize options, you may consider using third-party apps such as IrfanView, GIMP, or Paint.NET. For further details regarding those applications and their significantly more sophisticated resize control options, follow these links in this tip. This software will allow you to resize a batch of images for multiple pictures, another benefit of using third-party apps.
Additional information on resizing images in Windows 10
Resize image for social media. Also important: recommended sizes per platform. Posts on Instagram are at 1080x1080, profile pictures on Twitter are best at 400x400. Please research the necessary dimensions for your specific use case so images appear correct when uploaded. Quality Considerations
When you shrink an image too much, it looses detail and sharpness. Whenever possible, use high resolution images. If you are enlarging an image, the quality will degrade depending on the method used and how much it is being enlarged.
Always make sure you are having a balance of the size of an image and the quality. Well, the resolution will always save the space, but it may blur or pixelate over-reduction.
Batch resizing is not natively found in Windows 10. However, you can resize multiple images using third-party tools like IrfanView and online tools such as Bulk Resize Photos.
Using Online Tools
If you do not like installing software, you can use online image resizers, such as Pixlr, Fotor, or ResizeImage.net. These will resize the images directly in your browser, making them a convenient alternative for quick tasks.
This is often a result of resizing an image to a much smaller size. As you shrink an image, the detail in it can be lost; therefore, it becomes possible to see pixelation within the image.
Solution: Always maintain the aspect ratio, and avoid resizing too far below the original resolution.
When you resize an image without maintaining the aspect ratio, the image can stretch or become squished.
Solution: Always check the box to Maintain aspect ratio to avoid image distortion.
Even after resizing, many images still retain very large file sizes, especially when they are in high-quality formats like TIFF or PNG.
Solution: Resave the image into a more compressed format like JPEG or lower the quality of the image just a bit to shrink the file size.
Q1: Can I scale the pictures without losing quality on windows 10?
A : So long as you are not scaling the picture dramatically then maybe. Shrinking an image to somewhere between 10 and 30 percent will hardly penalize you in quality but enlarging an image typically loses sharpness and some degree of detail.
Q2: How do I crop for a specific size (eg., 1920 x1080 pix)?
In Photos and Paint, you can enter the pixel dimensions you wish to use in the resize settings settings, and if you are resizing an image for a platform that will demand strict adherence to particular measurements, make sure that the aspect ratio isn't broken.
Q3: Can I resize multiple images at once on Windows 10?
Windows 10 does not have a native batch resizing tool. You can, however use third-party tools such as IrfanView or online services like Bulk Resize Photos to resize several images at once.
Q4: Why is my resized image blurry?
This blurriness occurs when the resolution is lowered too much or an image is enlarged without proper quality settings. Avoid this by trying to resize in increments or by using a higher resolution image to start with.
The process of resizing images on Windows 10 is easy; it only takes a few seconds with the Photos app, but third-party software and online tools come in handy when dealing with more complex operations or even a batch of images. One important skill in digital image management involves preparing an image for print or social media or reducing its file size in order to upload it within a more reasonable time frame.
With the tips and methods outlined above, you would be able to resize all your images effectively without giving up too much ground in quality.