How to crop a photo to a square without losing the subject.

How big can the square be?

A square (aspect ratio 1:1) needs equal width and height, so the maximum size is set by the shorter side of the original. Anything beyond that would require pixels that are not there.

You can also choose a smaller square if the subject is small in the frame. That is a tighter crop and it leaves fewer pixels. For more on shapes and ratios, read aspect ratio explained.

Step by step: crop to a square

1. Open Crop image and add your JPG, PNG or WebP photo. If the photo is sideways, rotate it first.
2. Draw the selection over your subject, or enter the pixel values yourself. Keep Width and Height equal.
3. Check the preview. Faces should sit comfortably inside, with space around the head and shoulders.
4. Export in the format you need and open the downloaded file to check the edges.

The tool makes a new copy, and your original file stays unchanged, so you can try again with a different framing. Everything happens in your browser; the photo is not uploaded.

Exact pixel crop: worked example

Entering numbers is the most reliable way to get a true square. Suppose your photo is 1,200 × 800 and the subject is in the middle:

• Width = 800 and Height = 800 (the largest square).
• Top = 0, because the square uses the full height.
• Left = (1,200 − 800) ÷ 2 = 200, which centres the square.

If the subject is to the right of centre, increase Left, up to a maximum of 400 (1,200 − 800). If the subject is on the left, reduce Left towards 0. For a portrait photo of 3,024 × 4,032 the same logic applies vertically: Left = 0, Width = Height = 3,024, and Top between 0 and 1,008. Faces are usually in the upper half of a portrait, so try a Top around 300 to 500 rather than centring.

Framing tips for faces and products

• Profile pictures are often shown in a circle. The corners of your square get cut away, so keep the face away from the edges and leave room above the head.
• Put the eyes roughly one third from the top. This is a photography rule of thumb, not a requirement, and it keeps the face looking balanced.
• For products, leave a margin. Marketplaces often crop or add padding. Do not let the object touch the edges.
• Avoid cutting at joints. Cropping through wrists, elbows or knees looks awkward. Cut between them.
• Check text. If a sign or label is in the photo, make sure the square does not slice through it.

Resize after you crop

A square cut from a phone photo can still be 3,000 pixels wide, far larger than a profile picture needs and probably over any file size limit. After cropping, open Resize image and set a maximum width and height. Because the picture is already square, entering 1,080 for both gives a 1,080 × 1,080 result. The tool fits the image inside your box, keeps its proportions and does not enlarge pictures that are already smaller.

Many sites display profile pictures at a few hundred pixels, but a larger source keeps the image sharp on high-density screens. For example, LinkedIn's own help says profile photos can be from 400 × 400 up to 7,680 × 4,320 pixels; see LinkedIn image sizes for details.

If the upload has a file-size limit

Once the square is the right size, check the file size. If a form allows only, say, 200 KB, run the picture through Compress image with a target slightly under the cap (for example 180 KB). WORDMIO uses decimal units, so 1 KB is 1,000 bytes. You can confirm dimensions and size together with Upload Check. For tighter limits see photo under 200 KB.

Common mistakes

• Resizing to 500 × 500 instead of cropping. Resizing keeps the original shape, so a landscape photo stays landscape. A bounding box does not make it square.
• Stretching the image in an editor to fill a square. This distorts faces.
• Cropping too tightly. You cannot get the lost edges back from the exported copy, though you can redo it from the original.
• Starting from a tiny screenshot. A small source cannot be enlarged without softness.
• Forgetting to rotate first. Phone photos can be sideways in some programs.

Checklist

1. Rotate if needed.
2. Choose Width = Height and centre the subject.
3. Export and inspect the corners and edges.
4. Resize to the size the platform recommends.
5. Compress only if there is a size limit.

Frequently asked questions

How do I crop a photo to a square for free?

Open an image cropper, set the selection so width and height are equal, centre it on your subject and export. WORDMIO's Crop image tool does this in your browser without sign-up.

What is the biggest square I can crop from my photo?

The side of the square equals the shorter side of the photo. A 1,200 by 800 image gives an 800 by 800 square at most.

Is resizing the same as cropping to a square?

No. Resizing keeps the original proportions, so a landscape image stays landscape. To make it square you must crop first.

What pixel size should a square profile photo be?

It depends on the platform. LinkedIn, for instance, accepts 400 by 400 pixels and above, and 1,080 by 1,080 is a common safe size for social posts.