Original illustration
Low-res output, pixel size 4
Add up to 30 images (up to 50 MB each) and get low-resolution versions: on this page each 4 × 4 block of pixels becomes one pixel, so a 2000 × 1000 photo comes out at 500 × 250. Raise the pixel size for an even smaller result, set an exact square grid, or scale the low-res image back up for a blocky look. Colors stay at 16-bit by default, the output is PNG, and the images are processed in your browser.
Reduce image resolution for the web, thumbnails and retro effects
Reducing resolution is one of the most common image jobs. It makes files smaller, gives you thumbnails, and creates the deliberately blocky low-res look. This low res image converter does it in your browser without uploading anything.
Why reduce image resolution?
Phones and cameras capture far more pixels than most uses need. A typical phone photo is around 4000 × 3000 pixels, while a website thumbnail may need only 200 × 150. Sending the full photo wastes bandwidth and slows the page, since the browser scales it down anyway. A smaller image looks the same at its display size and is a fraction of the file size.
The low-res look is also a style of its own, used in music videos, social posts, album covers and digital art.
Resolution guidelines for common uses
Website thumbnails are usually 150 to 300 pixels wide, social media profile pictures 320 to 800 pixels, and images in emails 600 to 800 pixels. Forum avatars tend to be 64 to 128 pixels, and retro or pixel art effects work at 32 to 256 pixels. For exact pixel dimensions, such as 300 × 200, the batch resizer is the better tool; this page divides the resolution by the pixel size.
How the converter works
The tool divides the image into a grid of square blocks and gives each block one color from the original pixels in that area. With the output set to 1×, each block becomes one pixel of the result. With a larger output scale, the blocks are drawn as sharp squares at a bigger size.
Reducing resolution vs. compressing
Resolution is the number of pixels, width times height. Compression shrinks the file without changing that number. When an image will be shown small, reducing the resolution saves far more than compression alone. For the smallest web images, reduce the resolution first and then compress the result with the image compressor.
The retro low-res aesthetic
Deliberately low-resolution images recall early computers and consoles, whose screens showed around 320 × 240 pixels or fewer. Lower the color depth or pick a retro palette here to push the look further.
Privacy
Shrinking a photo hard enough hides small details such as house numbers or text on a screen. For anything sensitive, cover it with a solid box instead, because heavy blocks don't guarantee that small text can't be guessed. See the pixelate image page for more on this.
Default settings for this tool
The low-res preset uses pixel size 4 and sets Output size to 1× the pixel grid. Each 4 × 4 block becomes a single pixel and the image is not scaled back up, so a 2000 × 1000 photo comes out at 500 × 250 pixels. Colors stay at 16-bit (RGB565, up to 65,536 colors) and dithering is off.
Raise the pixel size for an even smaller image. Choose Original size under Output size if you want the blocky look at the full dimensions instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between reducing resolution and compressing an image?
Reducing resolution lowers the number of pixels (width × height), while compression makes the file smaller without changing the pixel count. Reducing resolution saves more when an image is displayed small.
How much can I reduce image resolution?
It depends on the use. Web thumbnails are usually 200 to 300 pixels wide, emails need about 600 to 800 pixels, and a retro effect can go as low as 32 × 32 or 64 × 64. Here the pixel size goes up to 48, so a 4800 pixel wide photo can drop to 100 pixels wide in one step.
Does reducing resolution reduce file size?
Usually by a lot. A 4,000 × 3,000 photo reduced to 400 × 300 has one hundredth of the pixels. The output here is a lossless PNG, though, and for photos PNG needs more bytes per pixel than JPG, so the file shrinks less than the pixel count suggests. For the smallest web file, convert the result with PNG to JPG or PNG to WebP.
Can I undo a resolution reduction?
No. Pixels removed by a reduction can't be brought back. Keep a copy of the original full-resolution image.
What image formats are supported?
PNG, JPG, JPEG, WebP, AVIF, HEIC, GIF (first frame) and BMP. The output is PNG, which keeps clean pixel edges, and you can also choose GIF.
Is it safe to upload sensitive photos?
Your images aren't uploaded anywhere. The conversion runs in your browser and the photos stay on your device.