Resizing Images

Sometimes you may need to change the size of an image before using it in a design. For example, you might want to make an image smaller so it fits inside a layout, or adjust the dimensions to match a specific platform.

However, resizing images can sometimes cause them to become blurry or pixelated. Understanding why this happens will help you resize images more successfully.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to resize images in Photopea and why some images can be resized easily while others cannot.

Most images are raster images, which means they are made up of pixels.

Pixels are tiny squares of color that combine to create the full picture.

When you enlarge a raster image, the software must stretch those pixels to fill a larger space. Because the image does not contain extra detail, the pixels become more visible and the image may appear:

• blurry
• blocky
• pixelated

This is why enlarging small images often causes quality problems.

Reducing the size of an image, however, usually works much better because the software is simply combining existing pixels rather than inventing new ones.

Resizing images works best when:

• the image starts with high resolution
• you are making the image smaller, not larger
• the proportions of the image stay the same

Starting with larger, higher-quality images gives you more flexibility when resizing.

Step 1: Open Your Image in Photopea #

First, open Photopea in your web browser.

To load your image:

1. Click File in the top menu.
2. Select Open.
3. Choose the image from your computer.

Your image will appear in the editing workspace.

Step 2: Open the Image Size Tool #

To resize the image, use the Image Size tool.

In the top menu:

1. Click Image
2. Select Image Size

A window will appear showing the current dimensions of the image.

You will see the width and height measured in pixels.

Step 3: Maintain Proportions #

Before resizing, make sure the image maintains its original proportions.

Most editing programs include a small chain or link icon between the width and height fields. When this link is active, changing one dimension will automatically adjust the other.

This keeps the image from becoming stretched or distorted.

For example:

If you change the width, the height will adjust automatically to keep the same shape.

Maintaining proportions ensures that circles stay circular and objects do not become stretched.

Step 4: Enter the New Size #

Now you can type in the new width or height.

Photopea will automatically adjust the other value if proportions are locked.

Once you confirm the new dimensions, the image will resize.

Step 5: Save the Resized Image #

After resizing the image, you can export it.

To save the image:

1. Click File
2. Select Export As
3. Choose a format such as PNG or JPG

Save the file to your computer.

A Helpful Beginner Tip #

If you need to resize an image for a design platform like Canva, it’s usually best to start with an image that is larger than the final size you need.

You can safely make an image smaller, but making it larger often reduces quality.

For example, an image that is 3000 pixels wide can easily be resized down to 1000 pixels wide.

But an image that starts at 500 pixels wide may look blurry if stretched to 2000 pixels wide.

If you read the Resolution fundamentals guide, you may remember that resolution describes how much detail an image contains.

Images with more pixels have higher resolution, which allows them to be resized more easily.

Images with fewer pixels contain less detail, which is why enlarging them often causes blur.

Understanding this relationship helps explain why resizing sometimes works perfectly and other times causes problems.

Resizing images is easiest when you start with high-quality images and maintain the original proportions.

Making images smaller usually preserves quality, but enlarging raster images can cause blur because the image does not contain enough pixels to support the larger size.

Using tools like Photopea allows you to adjust image dimensions carefully before using the image in your final design.