How to crop an image
- Drop an image, or click to browse. The cropper works on one image at a time.
- Pick a Ratio if you need a specific shape: Freeform, 1:1, 4:3, 3:4, 16:9, 3:2 or 2:3. Changing the ratio resets the selection to a centred box.
- Drag on the image to draw a new selection. The line under the image shows its exact size in pixels as you drag. With a ratio chosen, the width of your drag sets the height automatically. You cannot grab and move the box afterwards; to adjust it, simply drag a new one, or press Reset.
- Choose an Output format, then click Crop & download. The file is saved with a cropped- prefix.
Crop a photo online without uploading it
Most online croppers send your photo to a server first. This one doesn't. It is an image cropper that works entirely in your browser, so the file never leaves your device. That makes it fast, with no upload wait, and safe for private photos, screenshots and scanned documents.
Why the pixel count matters
The crop is cut from the original at full resolution, with no resampling. A selection of 1200×800 gives you an image of exactly 1200×800 pixels. That is the good news for quality, and the catch for tiny selections: if you crop a small face out of a wide group photo, you may end up with a few hundred pixels across, which looks soft when displayed large. Watch the selection size under the image. Roughly speaking, 1000 pixels or more across is comfortable for web use, and printing needs far more.
Worked examples on a 4000×3000 photo:
- 1:1 gives at most 3000×3000, because the height is the limiting side.
- 16:9 gives at most 4000×2250, a cinematic strip suitable for a video thumbnail or slide.
- 3:2 gives at most 4000×2667, which is the classic print shape.
- 3:4 or 2:3 give tall portraits, up to 2250×3000 and 2000×3000 respectively.
The 4:3, 16:9 and 2:3 options use rounded values, so a selection can occasionally be a pixel off the perfect ratio. There is no 4:5 option; for Instagram portrait posts use the social media image resizer, which outputs 1080×1350.
Framing tips
The selection is overlaid with a rule-of-thirds grid. Placing your subject, or the line of its eyes, near one of the grid intersections usually looks more natural than dead centre. Leave a little room in the direction the subject is facing or moving. For landscapes, put the horizon on the upper or lower line rather than in the middle. Remember that cropping can only remove picture, never straighten it; if the horizon is tilted, the cropper cannot fix that.
Cropping screenshots and sensitive images
A crop is a clean way to remove browser toolbars, notification banners or a neighbour's name from a screenshot, because the downloaded file contains only the selected pixels. The original file on your device is not modified. The saved image is also a fresh file, so hidden extras such as location data in the original's metadata are not copied into it.
Which output format?
Keep original saves in the same format you loaded. For PNG that is perfectly lossless. For JPG and WebP, the cropped area is encoded again at a fixed quality of 92%, so there is one extra round of compression. It is subtle, but if you will keep editing, choose PNG as the output to avoid further loss. A JPG saves white where there is transparency, so pick PNG or WebP for cut-outs and logos.
Limits of this tool
There is no zoom, no draggable handles, and no way to type exact coordinates, so for a pixel-exact size use a ratio and check the readout, or read how to crop an image to an exact size. The crop does not resize its output. Very large images are shown scaled down to fit the page, but the selection still maps to the full-resolution pixels underneath.
Is it private and safe?
Yes. Toolyard crops images inside your browser on your own device. Your files are never uploaded anywhere, so they stay completely private.
Related guides
Read how to crop an image to an aspect ratio, how to crop an image to an exact size, how to crop a screenshot, or try the circle crop tool for round profile pictures.
Frequently asked questions
Can I crop to a square for a profile picture?
Yes. Choose the 1:1 ratio, drag your selection and download. The output is a perfect square of whatever pixel size you selected. For a round avatar, use the circle crop tool instead.
Will cropping lose quality?
The pixels inside your selection are copied exactly, with no scaling. The only possible loss comes from re-saving: PNG output is lossless, while JPG and WebP are encoded again at 92% quality. Choose PNG if you want zero additional loss.
Can I move or resize the selection after drawing it?
Not with handles. Drag again on the image to draw a new selection, or press Reset to return to the default centred box. If you need a ratio, choose it before you drag, because changing the ratio also resets the selection.
How do I crop to an exact pixel size?
Pick a ratio that matches your target and watch the pixel readout under the image while you drag. The crop itself is not resized, so to hit an exact size, crop to the right ratio first, then scale the result to the final dimensions with the image resizer.
What happens to transparent areas?
PNG and WebP keep transparency. If you save as JPG, transparent areas turn white, since JPG cannot store transparency. Pick PNG or WebP for logos and cut-out images.
Does cropping remove location data from a photo?
The saved file is a newly drawn image, so EXIF metadata such as GPS location and camera details from the original is not copied into it. The original file on your device is not changed, so keep that in mind if you plan to share it.
Are my images uploaded?
No. Everything runs on your device and nothing is sent anywhere.
Is it free?
Yes. It is completely free, with no watermarks and no sign-up.