Percentage scaling
Percentage scaling reduces (or enlarges) dimensions relative to each image's original size: 50% halves width and height, quartering the total pixel count. It is the fastest option when sources vary in size but all need the same relative reduction.
Think in quarters: 50% → quarter of the pixels, 25% → one-sixteenth. File sizes roughly follow pixel count, so 50% typically cuts bytes dramatically. Use percentages for 'make everything smaller' jobs without specific targets.
Exact pixel dimensions
Pixel mode sets absolute dimensions — 1920 wide, 1080 tall, whatever the destination specifies. Enter one dimension with the aspect-ratio lock on and the other computes automatically, preserving proportions exactly.
This is the mode for specifications: ad banners, profile pictures, marketplace requirements, design systems. When someone says '1200×630', pixel mode with the lock on delivers exactly that (for matching-aspect sources).
The aspect-ratio lock
The lock ties width and height together so they scale proportionally. On: circles stay circular, faces keep their shape — the safe default for virtually all resizing. Off: width and height move independently, letting you force exact dimensions on any source.
Lock-off has legitimate uses — fitting a fixed banner slot, anamorphic effects — but it stretches content. If output dimensions must match exactly and the source aspect differs, consider cropping first rather than stretching.
How settings interact
Method and lock combine: percentage with lock on scales everything uniformly (the common case); pixels with lock on fits within your entered dimension proportionally; pixels with lock off forces exact dimensions regardless of distortion.
Changes apply live across the batch — adjust and watch every card's dimensions update. Experiment freely: the cost of trying 50% versus 800px is zero, and the cards show you exactly what each choice produces.
When to break the rules
Rules have exceptions. Switching the aspect lock off is correct when a platform demands exact dimensions regardless of source — some ad slots and cover areas simply require 1200×628, and a slight stretch beats a rejected upload. Preview the stretch first: mild distortion often goes unnoticed, severe distortion never does.
Upscaling has its rare justification too: a slightly-too-small logo needed at a fixed size, where a soft upscale beats a missing image. Keep expectations honest — upscaling invents blur, never detail — and treat it as a last resort, not a workflow. For everything else, the defaults are the defaults for a reason. Document any exception you make: future maintainers should know why one batch broke the rules, or they will fix it back.
Frequently asked questions
Should I resize by percentage or pixels?
Percentage for general shrinking across varied sources; pixels when a destination demands exact dimensions like 1920×1080.
How does the aspect-ratio lock work?
It scales width and height proportionally so images never stretch or squish. Keep it on unless you deliberately want new proportions.
Can I force exact width AND height?
Yes — turn the lock off and enter both. But mismatched aspects will stretch the image; cropping first usually looks better.
Do settings apply to the whole batch?
Yes, and live — changing any setting re-processes all images automatically, with each card updating to show the result.