Crop Image Online

What Is Image Cropping?

Draw a rectangle around the part you want to keep. Everything outside it disappears. That's the whole idea.

Cropping is the edit you'll use more than any other — and it's so straightforward that most people don't even think of it as "editing." There's a trash can in the corner of your vacation shot. Your subject is awkwardly off-center. Instagram needs a square but you shot a rectangle. A five-second crop fixes all of it.

People sometimes confuse cropping with resizing, but they're completely different operations. Resizing scales the entire image up or down (which can introduce blurring if you scale up too much). Cropping just chops off the edges and leaves everything inside the selection at its original quality. No stretching, no compression, no quality loss whatsoever.

Why Crop Images?

The reasons run the gamut. Tightening composition is a big one — shifting the subject to a rule-of-thirds intersection makes a photo look more deliberate, even if the original framing was a bit sloppy. Then there's the platform problem: every social network expects a different aspect ratio, and if you don't crop to fit, they'll do it for you (and they'll almost certainly chop off something important). E-commerce sellers crop product images to identical ratios so the catalog grid looks clean and professional rather than haphazard.

Common Image Aspect Ratios

Every platform wants a different shape. Here's a quick reference so you don't have to Google it every single time.

Image Cropper Features

What you get (and what you don't get — namely, server uploads or account requirements).

Image Cropping Use Cases

If you work with images at all, you crop them. Here's where it comes up most often.

Image Cropping Tips for Best Results

A few pointers that'll save you from re-doing the same crop three times.

Start with the Highest Resolution Available

Cropping throws away pixels — that's literally what it does. If you're starting with a 4000x3000 image, no problem; you've got pixels to burn. But if your source is only 800x600 and you crop half of it away, you're left with something too small to use almost anywhere. Always grab the original full-resolution file before you start cutting.

Know Your Target Dimensions Before Cropping

Eyeballing it and hoping for the best rarely works out. Instagram feed? 1080x1080. YouTube thumbnail? 1280x720. LinkedIn post? 1200x627. Look up the recommended size for wherever the image is going, select the matching aspect ratio from the presets, and you won't have to redo the crop when the platform chops your image in an unexpected place.

Use the Rule of Thirds

Picture a tic-tac-toe grid laid over your image. If you place the subject on one of the four intersections instead of dead center, the photo almost always looks better. It's the oldest composition trick in photography, and it works just as well when you're adjusting the frame in post as it does behind the camera.

Leave Breathing Room

It's tempting to crop as tight as possible, but don't. Headshots need space above the head and below the chin or they feel claustrophobic. Product images need a margin around the item so it doesn't look like it's being squeezed out of the frame. A little negative space makes the difference between "carefully composed" and "accidental tight shot."

Check the Result at Display Size

Your crop might look sharp at full screen, but the image may end up displaying at 200x200 pixels as a profile pic or thumbnail. Zoom out and check before you download. An overly aggressive crop can leave you with something that looks fine big but becomes an unreadable smudge at small sizes. When you're unsure, crop less.

Frequently Asked Questions

Image Crop Sizes for Every Social Media Platform

The exact aspect ratios and pixel dimensions you need for every major platform — so your images never get cropped awkwardly by the platform itself.

Instagram Crop Sizes

Instagram supports three aspect ratios for feed posts: 1:1 square (1080x1080), 4:5 portrait (1080x1350), and 1.91:1 landscape (1080x566). The 4:5 portrait takes up the most screen real estate in the feed and consistently gets better engagement. Stories and Reels use 9:16 (1080x1920), which fills the entire phone screen. Profile pictures are displayed at 110x110 but uploaded at 320x320 — crop to 1:1 square for best results.

YouTube Crop Sizes

Thumbnails: 1280x720 (16:9). Channel banner: 2560x1440, but the safe area visible on all devices is 1546x423 in the center. Channel icon: 800x800 (1:1 square). For video content itself, always stick to 16:9 — uploading other ratios will cause YouTube to add black bars (pillarboxing or letterboxing).

Facebook Crop Sizes

Feed posts: 1200x630 (1.91:1) for link previews, 1080x1080 for square photo posts. Cover photo: 820x312 on desktop, 640x360 on mobile — design for the overlapping safe area. Profile picture: 170x170 on desktop, 128x128 on mobile, uploaded as at least 320x320 square. Event cover: 1200x628. Group cover: 1640x856.

LinkedIn, X/Twitter, and Pinterest

LinkedIn: profile photo 400x400 (1:1), background photo 1584x396 (4:1), feed posts 1200x627 (1.91:1). X/Twitter: profile photo 400x400, header 1500x500 (3:1), in-stream images 1600x900 (16:9). Pinterest: standard pin 1000x1500 (2:3), long pin up to 1000x2100. Pinterest rewards tall images — the 2:3 ratio is optimal for the vertical feed layout.

Image Cropping Tips for Better Composition

Cropping is not just about cutting — it is one of the most powerful composition tools available. Here is how to use it to transform ordinary photos into compelling images.

Crop to Remove Distractions

The most common reason to crop a photo is to remove distracting elements at the edges — a stray arm, a trash can, a bright object pulling the eye away from your subject. Before cropping, scan all four edges of your image and ask: does everything in the frame serve the photo? If not, tighten the crop. A simpler frame almost always makes a stronger image.

Use Negative Space Intentionally

Negative space (empty area around your subject) creates visual breathing room and draws attention to the subject. When cropping, consider leaving more space on one side — especially the side your subject is facing or moving toward. This creates a sense of direction and story. Too-tight crops feel claustrophobic; strategic negative space feels intentional and professional.

Avoid Cropping at Joints

When cropping portraits, never cut at a person's joints — ankles, knees, wrists, elbows, or neck. Cropping at these natural breakpoints creates an amputated look that feels uncomfortable to viewers. Instead, crop at mid-thigh, mid-forearm, or mid-chest. If you cannot avoid a joint, go slightly above or below it. This rule applies to product photos too — do not cut off handles, lids, or other functional parts of objects.

The Crop-and-Rotate Technique

Many photos look slightly tilted because the camera was not perfectly level during capture. The fix: rotate the image 1-3 degrees to straighten the horizon, then crop away the resulting white triangles at the corners. This works particularly well for landscape photos, architectural shots, and any image with a visible horizon line or strong vertical elements like buildings and door frames. Use our free Rotate tool first, then return here to crop.

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