About the Handiwork Image Resizer
The Image Resizer draws a selected image to an in-memory canvas at new pixel dimensions and downloads the encoded result. Lock ratio preserves the original proportions; Free resize allows independent width and height. The page reports original and output dimensions and byte sizes, while documenting that canvas export can change metadata, encoding, transparency, and visual quality.
How to use the Handiwork Image Resizer
- Choose or drop an image and note its original dimensions and file type.
- Use Lock ratio for proportional scaling or Free resize when exact independent dimensions are required.
- Preview the result, download it, and inspect the actual file type, dimensions, transparency, sharpness, and color before replacing the original.
How aspect-ratio locking chooses dimensions
With Lock ratio enabled, the tool calculates width and height from the source ratio. When both target dimensions are present, it chooses the smaller scale so the result fits within the requested box without cropping. Free resize draws directly to the entered width and height and can visibly stretch the image.
Worked resizing example
A 2400 × 1600 image has a 3:2 ratio. A locked 50% preset produces 1200 × 800. Fitting it inside a locked 1000 × 1000 box produces 1000 × 667 after rounding. A free 1000 × 1000 resize instead changes the proportions and makes the image square.
Canvas export can change the file
The browser decodes the source and creates a new encoded image from canvas pixels. Metadata such as EXIF camera details is generally not copied by this workflow. JPEG and WebP encoding is requested at quality 0.92, while PNG ignores that quality value. If a browser cannot encode the requested MIME type, canvas may fall back to PNG, so check the downloaded file rather than relying only on its filename.
Dimensions do not guarantee usable quality
Downscaling discards detail and usually looks cleaner than enlargement. Upscaling creates more pixels without recovering missing information. Browser and device canvas limits also vary, so the application’s 16,384-pixel-per-side validation ceiling is not a guarantee that every device can allocate that canvas.
Assumptions and limitations
- The 16,384-pixel application limit can exceed the practical canvas or memory limit of a particular browser and device.
- Upscaling cannot restore detail that is absent from the source.
- EXIF, ICC, XMP, animation, and other source metadata or format features may not be preserved by canvas export.
- Unsupported output MIME types may fall back to PNG even when the filename retains the original extension.
- Free resize can distort proportions, and transparency may not survive conversion to a format that lacks alpha support.
Sources and standards
These authoritative references were used to verify the method and guidance on this page.
Frequently asked questions
Are my images uploaded to a server?
No. The selected file is decoded, drawn, and exported locally in your browser.
Will resizing reduce quality?
Any resampling can change detail. Downscaling discards pixels, while enlargement interpolates new pixels without adding real source detail.
Does the tool crop my image?
No. Lock ratio fits the full image within the target dimensions, and Free resize stretches the full image to the exact dimensions.
Is 16,384 pixels guaranteed to work?
No. That is the application validation ceiling. Actual canvas and memory limits vary by browser, device, and image.
Will camera metadata be preserved?
Do not assume so. Canvas re-encodes pixels and generally does not copy EXIF, XMP, ICC, animation, or other source metadata.