Resize vs Crop: Know the Difference
They both make images smaller. They do completely different things.
"Make this image smaller" can mean two different things.
Resize: Change the dimensions. A 1000x1000 image becomes 500x500.
Crop: Cut out a portion. A 1000x1000 image becomes 500x500 by removing half the content.
Confusing them ruins images.
When to Resize
You need the whole image at different dimensions.
- Thumbnails that show complete images
- Responsive images for different screen sizes
- Reducing file size while keeping everything visible
Resizing scales proportionally (unless you force it). A 1600x900 image at 50% becomes 800x450. Same content, smaller pixels.
When to Crop
You need part of an image at full resolution.
- Headshots from group photos
- Removing distracting backgrounds
- Fitting to specific aspect ratios
Cropping removes content. A 1600x900 image cropped to center 800x450 discards the edges entirely.
The Aspect Ratio Problem
Your image is 16:9. You need 1:1 for a profile picture.
Option 1: Crop. Cut the sides, keep the middle. You lose content.
Option 2: Resize and letterbox. Scale to fit, add blank space. You keep everything but add padding.
Option 3: Crop then resize. Cut to 1:1, then scale to target size. Most common approach.
Neither resize alone nor crop alone solves aspect ratio mismatches gracefully.
Compression Is Different Again
Resize and crop change dimensions. Compression reduces file size without changing dimensions.
A 1000x1000 image might be:
- 5MB uncompressed
- 200KB at 85% JPEG quality
- 50KB at 60% quality
Same dimensions, dramatically different file sizes.
Common Mistakes
Resizing without maintaining aspect ratio. Images get stretched or squished. Always lock proportions unless you specifically need distortion.
Cropping and wondering where content went. Crop removes content. If you need everything visible, resize instead.
Upscaling too much. Making a small image larger creates blur. You can't add detail that wasn't there. 2x upscale is usually the limit before quality suffers visibly.
Not considering DPI. Web images typically use 72 DPI. Print needs 300 DPI. Same pixel dimensions look different in each context.
Practical Workflow
- Start with the highest resolution source
- Crop to the right aspect ratio and content area
- Resize to target dimensions
- Compress to acceptable file size
Order matters. Crop first, resize second. Resizing before cropping loses resolution unnecessarily.
Resize for scaling. Crop for selecting content. Compress for file size. Each tool solves a different problem—use the right one.