How to resize and share images on Photoshop

Copy the image before resizing it

Since resizing an image for email or the web usually means we'll throw the pixels away, it's a good idea to make a copy of the image first before resizing it. To duplicate the image, go to List Image in the menu bar and select Repetition :

In the Duplicate Image dialog, give the copy a name, or just accept the original name with the word “copy” at the end. If the document contains more than one layer, select Duplicate Merged Layers Only To create a flat version of the image:

Click OK to close the dialog, and a copy of the image opens in a separate document. The name of the currently active document is highlighted in existing tabs At the top:

Image Size dialog box

To change the image size, go back to the menu Image And this time, choose Image size :

This opens the Image Size dialog box, which includes in Photoshop CC Preview window on the left and options for resizing the image on the right:

Get a larger image preview

To give yourself a larger preview window, you can maximize the dialog box itself. Just drag the dialog to the top left of the screen, and then drag the bottom right handle out. Once you've resized the dialog, click and drag inside the preview window to center it on your subject:

Display the current image size

You'll find the image's current size, in pixels and megabytes, at the top of the column on the right. The number next to the words Image Size Shows Size The current one is in megabytes (M), next to the password الأبعاد We see the current size in pixels.

My image is currently taking up 63.3MB of memory, and is 5760px wide and 3840px high. Both of these are too big for you to email or share the image online, but we'll learn how to change them in a moment:

Change the dimension measurement type

If the dimensions are displayed in a measurement type other than pixels, click the small arrow to the right of the word Dimensions to view a list of all the measurement types you can choose from. Then choose Pixels From the list:

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Image resizing vs. resampling

Before we learn how to resize an image for the web, let's make sure we understand the difference between resize photo and reset formation Image. I've covered the difference in previous tutorials in this series, but we'll quickly review it here.

What is image resizing?

Means Resize We do not change the number of pixels in the image or its file size. Resizing only changes the size that the image will printed . We control the print size not by changing the number of pixels but by changing the resolution of the image. You can learn more about Image size and its accuracy in the first lesson in this series, How to resize an image for printing In the third lesson.

What is image reshaping?

Means Reshape We change the number of pixels. It's called adding more pixels to an image shorthand , and defines the disposal of pixels shorthand . Rarely, if ever, will you ever need to burn an image for email or the web. But you will always need to scale back. And as we'll see, by downsampling an image to make its width and height smaller, we're making the file size smaller at the same time!

How to reshape the image

Now that we know the difference between resizing and resampling, let's learn how to resample an image so we can optimize it for email and photo sharing.

Step 1: Run Resample

In the Image Size dialog box, we choose between resizing and downsampling with Reassemble a random sample option, which you'll find just below the resolution option. Since we want to reduce the number of pixels in the image, make sure you specify Resample:

Step 2: Enter the new Width and Height

While running Resample, also make sure to set the scaling type for both of my options Width و Height on pixel :

Then enter the width and height you need. Since the Width and Height fields are linked together, changing one will automatically change the other depending on the aspect ratio of your image.

What width and height values ​​should I use?

Of course, the question is, what is the best width and height to use for emailing the image or for sharing it online? Most photo-sharing and social media platforms have their own recommended sizes, and a quick Google search for your preferred platform will give you the size you need.

For email, it really depends on what screen size the person you're emailing the photo to is using. While 4K and 5K screens are gaining in popularity, the most popular screen resolution is still 1920 x 1080, more commonly known as 1080p. Ideally, you'll want the image to fit perfectly on the viewer's screen without scrolling or panning. So if we stick to the most common screen size (1920 x 1080), you'll want your image to be no more than 1920 pixels wide and no more than 1080 pixels high.

Change width and height

I will reduce the width value from 5760px to 1920px. Photoshop keeps the aspect ratio the same by automatically reducing the height, from 3840px to 1280px:

Check the new image size

Note that the new pixel dimensions (1920 x 1280 pixels) now appear in a section الأبعاد at the top of the dialog box. But more importantly, by reducing the number of pixels in the image, Section Image size We also reduced the image file size. We've gone from 63.3MB to just 7.03MB.

Notice the number you see next to the image size Not It is the final size of the image file. It is simply the amount of space the image currently occupies in your computer's memory. You won't know the actual size of the file until you save the image as a JPEG or other file type, and the final size will be less than what we see here. We'll look at how to save the image at the end of this tutorial:

Display new dimensions as a percentage

If you'd prefer to display the new dimensions of the image as a percentage rather than pixels, click the arrow next to the word "Dimensions" and choose percentage From the list:

And now we can see that the image's width and height have been reduced to just 33.33% of its original size:

Reduce pixel dimensions even further

Earlier, we knew that if we want the image to fit on a standard 1080p display, we need the width to be no more than 1920px and the height to be no more than 1080px. I reduced the width to 1920px, but due to the aspect ratio of my image, the height was reduced to only 1280px, which means it's still too long for a 1080px display.

Disconnect width and height

أنا maybe Try to solve the problem by unbinding the width and height. By default, they are linked together, but you can toggle the link on or off by clicking Link icon between them. Then, with the width and height not bound, I'll leave the width at 1920px but change the height to 1080px:

But the problem is that by unbinding the height from the width, I changed the aspect ratio of my image. As we can see in the preview window, the image is now stretched horizontally, which is not what we want:

Reconnect width and height

Since that's not what I want to do, I'll rebind the width and height by clicking again on link icon . This also resets the image to its original size:

Then, to fit the image perfectly on the 1080p screen, this time I'll change the height to 1080p. This reduces the width to 1620px, and how anyone viewing it on a 1920x1080 screen can see the entire image without zooming or scrolling:

Check the new image size

And if we look at Image size و الأبعاد At the top, we see that the width and height are now approximately 28% of the original size, and the size of the image in memory is down to only 5M, which is even better than before:

Step 3: Choose an interpolation method

One last but important option when resampling an image is interpolation method . You'll find it next to the Resample option, and it defaults to Automatic:

What is image interpolation?

When we resample an image, Photoshop has to add or remove pixels. And the method you use to do this is known as interpolation method . There are several interpolation methods to choose from, and you can view them by clicking on the option. Some methods are better for downsampling, others for downsampling:

Which interpolation method should I choose?

Each interpolation method will produce different results, some softer or sharper than others. And choosing the wrong person can have a negative impact on the recreated image. If you are not sure which option to choose, leave this option set to automatic It is the safest option. Photoshop will automatically choose what it considers the best method for the task, which when downsampling the images is Bicubic Sharper :

What is the best interpolation method for shorthand?

Although Photoshop will choose Bicubic Sharper as the best option for downsampling images, in reality it is Not The best option if you really want the best results. If you just want to more severe Results with minimal hassle, then yes, stick with the Bicubic Cheater. And by that, I mean leave the interpolation method set to auto.

But for best results absolute When downsampling an image, you'll want to choose Bicubic (Smooth Gradients) Instead of that. This will produce a smoother, cleaner image. Note, however, that you will need to apply more sharpening to the image afterwards, or it will look too soft. But if you are comfortable sharpening images and want the most professional results, change the interpolation method from Auto to Bicubic:

What about the resolution of the image?

One option that we didn't look at in this tutorial is Precision , located directly below the Width and Height options. The reason we haven't looked at this is because the resolution only affects the size that the image will be printed . Resolution has no effect on pixel dimensions or image file size.

So when you resize an image for email, for sharing online, or for any type of screen width, ignore the resolution. You can learn more about Picture Resolution In the first lesson of this series. And to learn more about why resolution doesn't affect file size, see our special tutorial Fable web resolution 72ppi :

Step 4: Click OK to resample the image

Once you've entered the pixel dimensions you need and chosen your interpolation method, click OK to close the Image Size dialog and resample the image:

Step 5: Save the image as a JPEG file

When you're ready to save the image so you can email it or share it, go to the "" a file in the menu bar and select Save as" :

In the Save As dialog box, set coordination (file type) on JPEG . Give your image a name (I'll call it “Tourists-small.webp”) and choose where you want to save it on your computer. Then click save :

Finally, in the JPEG Options screen, set the quality on maximum , and in Format options , Choose Baseline optimized . If you look under the word "preview" you'll see the final size of the image, which in my case is only 1.0M, which means I'll have no problem emailing or sharing it. Click OK to save the image as a JPEG and close the dialog: