How to resize an image in Paint on Windows

Resize an image in Paint, step by step

1. Right-click the picture in File Explorer and choose Open with → Paint.
2. Open the resize box: press Ctrl + W, or click Resize (called Resize and skew in some versions). On Windows 11 it is in the Image group; on Windows 10 it is on the Home tab.
3. Choose Pixels (or Percentage) and keep Maintain aspect ratio ticked.
4. Type the new width. Paint fills in the height for you, so the picture keeps its shape.
5. Click OK.
6. Click File → Save as → JPEG picture, and give the file a new name. Saving under a new name keeps your original photo.

That is all a normal resize needs. A phone photo of 4000 × 3000 pixels set to a width of 1000 becomes 1000 × 750 pixels, and its file shrinks a lot with it.

Pixels or percentage?

If the form gives both a width and a height with a different shape from your photo, do not untick Maintain aspect ratio: that stretches faces and signatures. Crop the picture to the right shape first (next section), then resize it.

Crop first, then resize

Cropping removes what the form does not need, such as the background around your face or the empty paper around a signature.

1. Click Select and drag a rectangle around the part you want to keep.
2. Click Crop, or press Ctrl + Shift + X.
3. Now resize as above.

A tightly cropped photo also stays sharper at a small file size, because every pixel goes to the part that matters.

What Paint cannot do

• Choose the file size in KB. Paint saves a JPG at its own fixed quality. You only find out the size after saving (right-click the file → Properties), and if it is too big you have to guess a smaller width and try again.
• Resize in cm or mm. The resize box only knows pixels and percentages. The Image properties box (Ctrl + E) does show cm and inches, but it changes the canvas, not the picture: it cuts off part of your image or adds a white area. Do not use it to resize.
• Set the DPI saved in the file. Some form portals read it; Paint does not let you choose it.
• Make a small picture bigger without blur. Enlarging always looks soft, in Paint or anywhere else.

Resize to a size in cm with Paint

To use cm in Paint, turn them into pixels first: pixels = cm ÷ 2.54 × DPI. Use the DPI the form asks for; if it gives none, 200 is a safe choice.

Crop the picture to that shape, then resize it to those pixels. Or skip the maths: our resize image in cm tool takes the size in cm or mm, the DPI and a KB range, and writes the DPI into the file.

Reach the KB size your form asks for

When a form says “maximum 50 KB”, the pixel size decides most of it. These are our sample phone photos compressed to each limit with our tools:

With Paint that means trial and error: resize, save, check the size, repeat. The image compressor does it in one step: type the KB limit (for example 50 KB) and it finds the largest size and the cleanest quality that fit. It runs in your browser, so the photo never leaves your PC.

Another built-in option: the Photos app

Recent versions of the Windows Photos app can resize too. Open the picture, click See more (…) → Resize image, and pick a preset or enter a custom size. Some versions also let you choose the quality and show the new file size. The menu names change between updates, so if you do not see it, Paint always works.

Common questions

Does resizing in Paint lower the quality?

Making a picture smaller keeps it sharp. Saving it as JPG removes a little detail, which is hard to see at normal sizes. Enlarging it, or resizing the same file many times, is what makes it blurry. Always start again from the original.

How do I resize many pictures at once?

Paint works on one picture at a time. For many photos, use the image compressor: add up to 20 pictures, set one size or KB limit, and download them all as a ZIP.

Why is my resized picture still too big in KB?

Detailed photos (trees, crowds, printed text) need more bytes than simple ones at the same pixel size. Make it a bit smaller, crop it closer, or let a KB-based tool choose the size for you.