Resizing Photos on Mac: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners
Are you struggling to manage the file size of your precious photo collections? Do you want to share them online or spend them in various design projects, but worry about their resolution? In this article, we will walk you through a comprehensive guide on how to resize photos on Mac. We’ll explore two popular methods: using Preview and Adobe Lightroom.
Method 1: Resizing Photos with Preview
Preview is the default image viewer app that comes pre-installed on your Mac. It’s incredibly useful for performing basic photo editing tasks, including resizing images. Here’s how to do it:
- Open Preview by double-clicking an image file (e.g., JPEG, PNG) or using Spotlight search.
- Click “Tools” in the menu bar at the top of the window and select “Adjust Size…”
- In the resulting dialog box:
- Adjust the width value: Type a new width dimension you desire (e.g., 800 pixels). You can also set a specific resolution, like 72 DPI (dots per inch).
- Update height automatically: Preview will calculate and adjust the image’s height to maintain its aspect ratio. If desired, click “Update Height” manually.
- Select compression options: Choose from various JPEG quality settings (e.g., High Quality, Medium Quality) for smaller files or use the Lossless option for original resolution without sacrificing quality.
To apply changes:
* Click “Save As…” and select a location to save your resized photo. You can also export it as a new file with a different name.
+ Keep Original: Deselect this option if you want Preview to overwrite the existing file.
* Confirm or cancel depending on your desired outcome.
Method 2: Resizing Photos using Adobe Lightroom
Adobe Lightroom is an excellent choice for more advanced photo editing tasks, including resizing images. If you’re not familair with it, don’t worry; we’ll guide you through a simple process:
- Launch Adobe Lightroom (available as part of the Creative Cloud subscription) and import your photos or access them from within the app.
- Select a single image or multiple ones for batch processing by holding Command (⌘) while clicking on each photo.
- Right-click (or Control+Click on Mac trackpads) anywhere in Lightroom’s workspace to reveal options. Click “Edit…”
- In the Edit window:
- Adjust the Photo Size: Click and drag either of the dimension controls at the bottom-left or -top-right corners to resize your image.
or
type new values for Width, Height, Resolution (PPI), or Scale in respective text boxes.
- Adjust the Photo Size: Click and drag either of the dimension controls at the bottom-left or -top-right corners to resize your image.
- In the Edit window:
- Apply changes:
Click “Save…” on Lightroom’s top menu bar. You can choose from various file formats and sizes.
Tips & Tricks
- Resolution vs. Compression: Understand the difference between these two concepts: resolution affects image quality, while compression reduces its size.
- Aspect Ratio Preservation: To maintain an image’s proportions during resizing, use Preview or Lightroom to update height values automatically or select “Scale” option in the latter.
- Batch Processing in Adobe Lightroom: Use this feature to apply the same edits (including resizing) across multiple images simultaneously for efficiency.
- Verify Original Files: Always keep a copy of your original image files, as any changes will overwrite them by default.
By mastering these two methods and understanding key concepts, you’ll be able to resize photos on Mac with confidence. Whether you’re working in Preview or Adobe Lightroom, we hope this guide has empowered you to create and edit images that meet the needs of various applications and formats.