How to Resize Pictures on the Computer
Digital images come in a variety of sizes. Larger images tend to be higher in quality than smaller images, but they also take up more space and are more difficult to upload or attach to an email. Resizing images solves this problem. By resizing an image, you can adjust it to meet the criteria needed to upload it to the Internet or send it to a friend. To resize an image, you need an image-editing program like Microsoft Paint.
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Instructions
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Older Versions of Paint
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Click the "Start" button on the task bar. Then select "All Programs" in the Start menu and open the Accessories folder. In the Accessories folder, click "Paint" to open the program.
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Click "File" and then click "Open." Browse your computer for the image you want to edit and open it.
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Click "Image" on the toolbar and then select "Stretch/Skew."
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Change the image size by adjusting the percentage in the height and width boxes. For example, if you type "75" in each box, the image will be resized to 75 percent of its current size. Click "OK" when finished.
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Save the image by clicking the "File" and selecting "Save" or "Save As". "Save" overwrites the old image file while "Save As" creates a new file.
Newer Versions of Paint
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Click the "Start" button on the task bar. Type "Paint" into the Start menu search bar and press "Enter." You can also find Paint by clicking "All Programs" in the Start menu and opening the Accessories folder. In the Accessories folder, click "Paint" to open the program.
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Click the Paint button at the top left corner of the window and click "Open." Browse your computer for the image you want to edit and open it.
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Go to the Home tab and click "Resize" (found in the Image group).
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Choose whether you want to resize the image by percentage or pixels. Then type the dimensions you desire in the height and width boxes. If "Maintain Aspect Ratio" is checked, you only have to change the number in one of the boxes to keep the image to scale. Click "OK" when finished.
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Save the image by clicking the "Paint" button and selecting "Save" or "Save As." "Save" overwrites the old image file while "Save As" creates a new file.
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Tips & Warnings
Be careful when saving your image. If you click "Save" instead of "Save As," the original image will be overwritten and lost unless you have another copy saved somewhere. Always back up images when editing.
