How to use the Crop Image
- 1
Drop an image into the box or click to choose one. Phone photos are shown the right way up automatically.
- 2
Pick an aspect ratio such as 1:1, 16:9 or Passport 35×45 mm, or leave it on Free. Use Make portrait or Make landscape to turn the shape around.
- 3
Drag the crop box to position it and pull the handles to resize, or type X, Y, width and height in pixels. Rotate or flip the picture with the buttons under the preview.
- 4
Optionally tick Resize the cropped image and set an output size, choose a format and quality, then press Download.
Aspect ratios for social media
Every platform trims uploads to fit its layout, rarely where you would. Cropping to the right ratio first means you decide what stays in the frame. These are common shapes in current use; platforms change them now and then, so check their help pages before a big campaign.
| Platform | Use | Ratio | Typical size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square post | 1:1 | 1080 × 1080 px | |
| Portrait post | 4:5 | 1080 × 1350 px | |
| Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Shorts | Stories, Reels, vertical video | 9:16 | 1080 × 1920 px |
| YouTube | Thumbnail | 16:9 | 1280 × 720 px |
| Feed image | 1:1 or 1.91:1 | 1200 × 1200 or 1200 × 627 px | |
| X (Twitter) | In-feed image | 16:9 or 1:1 | 1600 × 900 px |
Ratios that are not in the preset list, such as LinkedIn's 1.91:1 or a 4:1 banner, can be set with Free mode by typing the width and height, then ticking Resize the cropped image to hit the exact pixel size. A 4:5 portrait fills more of a phone screen than a square, which is why it is popular on Instagram.
Passport and visa photo crops around the world
Two presets cover the most common photo shapes. Passport 35×45 mm is used by the United Kingdom, the Schengen countries, India, Australia, South Africa and many others. US passport 2×2 in (51 × 51 mm) is used for US passports and visas and for some other visas, such as India's regular visa application. Both presets offer a one-click output size: 413 × 531 px (35 × 45 mm at 300 DPI) and 600 × 600 px, the US minimum for digital uploads.
Other countries use other shapes. Canada asks for 50 × 70 mm, China's visa photo is 33 × 48 mm, and Malaysia uses 35 × 50 mm. For these, use Free mode and type a width and height in the same proportion, for example 500 × 700 px for Canada.
Getting the shape right is only part of the job. Official rules also cover head size, background color, lighting, glasses and expression. The United Kingdom, for example, specifies a head height of 29 to 34 mm in a printed photo, and the US asks for a head of 1 to 1 3/8 inches. Rules change and differ between offices, so check the current requirements on the official government website before you submit, and use the rule-of-thirds grid inside the crop box to center the face evenly.
Composition tips for a better crop
The two lines across and two lines down inside the crop box split it into thirds. Placing eyes on the top line, or a horizon on a third instead of the middle, usually looks more natural than centering everything. Passport photos are the exception: there the face should sit in the middle.
- Leave space in the direction a person is looking or moving.
- Crop out distractions at the edges, such as a stray elbow, a bright sign or half a person, before worrying about anything else.
- Avoid cutting people at the joints (wrists, knees, ankles). Crop between them instead.
- If a photo is slightly tilted, rotate it in your phone's editor first, since this tool rotates in 90° steps only.
Why cropping lowers resolution
Cropping removes pixels; it never adds them. A 4000 × 3000 photo from a phone is 12 megapixels. Crop it to a 1:1 square from the center and you keep 3000 × 3000, still plenty. Crop tightly around one face in a group shot and you may keep only 600 × 600 pixels, fine on a phone but soft in print.
The crop area panel shows the exact size of your selection in the original image's pixels, and the Output pixels box shows what you will download. If you set an output size larger than the crop, the tool warns that the image is being enlarged. Enlarging adds no detail, so start from the original camera file rather than a copy saved from a chat app.
Crop or resize: which one do you need?
Cropping changes what is in the picture by cutting away the edges. Resizing keeps the whole picture and changes how many pixels it has. A website that asks for a 1080 × 1080 image from a landscape photo needs both: crop to 1:1 to choose the square part, then resize to 1080 pixels on each side. Tick Resize the cropped image to do both in one step.
If the target shape matches the photo already, for example making a 16:9 screenshot smaller, a resize alone is enough and nothing gets cut off. Our Resize Image tool handles that.
Formats, transparency and privacy
JPG is the best choice for photos and is accepted by almost every form and website. PNG keeps transparency and sharp edges, so use it for logos, screenshots and signatures; any transparent areas are kept. WebP gives smaller files than JPG at similar quality and works in modern browsers and most apps. The file size shown is the real size of the download, updated a moment after each change.
The original photo is decoded by your browser and cropped on a canvas on your device. Camera EXIF details, including location, are not copied into the new file.
Frequently asked questions
How do I crop a photo to a perfect square?
Choose 1:1 as the aspect ratio, then drag the box over the part you want. The box stays square while you resize it from any handle. Tick Resize the cropped image if you need an exact size such as 1080 × 1080.
How do I crop a photo to 35 × 45 mm for a passport?
Pick Passport 35×45 mm, position the box so the face is centered with space above the head, and press Set output to 413 × 531 px for a 300 DPI file. Check your country's official rules for head size and background before you submit.
Can I type exact crop coordinates?
Yes. The X, Y, width and height fields use the original image's pixels and update as you drag. Typing a value moves or resizes the box, and with a locked ratio the other side adjusts to match.
Does cropping reduce image quality?
It reduces the number of pixels, not the sharpness of the part you keep. Saving as JPG or WebP adds light compression, which is hard to see at the default 90 percent quality. Choose PNG if you need a lossless copy.
Why do my phone photos appear sideways in other tools?
Phones often save photos in one orientation and add a note saying how to rotate them. This tool reads that note so the picture appears the right way up, and the cropped file is saved upright.
Are my images uploaded anywhere?
No. Cropping, rotating and saving all happen in your browser on your own device. Nothing is sent to a server, and the image is cleared when you close the page.
Last updated on November 9, 2026