You cannot directly resize a canvas in Microsoft Photos. Microsoft Photos is designed for basic image viewing and editing, such as cropping, adjusting lighting, and applying filters, but it doesn't offer canvas resizing functionality. To resize the canvas, you need to use a more advanced image editor. However, you can resize the image itself, which may achieve a similar effect depending on your goal. Here's how to resize an image using Microsoft Photos:
Resizing an Image in Microsoft Photos:
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Open your image with Photos. Locate the image you want to resize and open it using the Microsoft Photos app.
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Click on the More icon and select Resize. Click the "See More" icon (three horizontal dots) located at the top of the screen. From the dropdown menu, select "Resize."
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Choose a resizing option. Photos offers preset resizing options, such as "Recommended settings," "Small," "Medium," "Large," or "Define custom dimensions". You can also choose the suggested option like "Best for Thumbnails". If you want specific dimensions, select "Define custom dimensions."
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Define Custom Dimensions (Optional). If you choose "Define custom dimensions," enter the desired width and height in pixels. The aspect ratio can be locked or unlocked if you need a non-proportional resize.
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Save the resized image. Once you've selected or defined your desired size, choose the location to save the new, resized file. The original image will remain untouched. By default, the resized image is saved in the same folder as the original.
Workaround for Canvas Resizing (Using Image Resizing):
While you can't resize the canvas directly, you can effectively add "canvas" around your image by resizing it larger and then adding a solid background color behind it in a different editor, or by combining it with a colored background using an online tool. However, Microsoft Photos does not facilitate this.
Alternatives for True Canvas Resizing:
If you truly need to resize the canvas (the area around your image), consider using these alternative image editing programs:
- Paint: A simple and free program included with Windows that allows you to adjust canvas size.
- GIMP: A powerful, open-source image editor offering advanced canvas resizing and editing capabilities.
- Adobe Photoshop: An industry-standard image editor with comprehensive tools, including canvas resizing.
- Online image editors: Many websites offer free or paid image editing services with canvas resizing features.
In summary, Microsoft Photos allows you to resize an image, but not resize the canvas. For true canvas resizing, you'll need to use a different program.
