How to resize an image in Windows Paint without stretching it

If an upload asks for an image that is 600 pixels wide, you can resize a 1600 × 1000 image to 600 × 375 pixels. The height changes with the width, so the image keeps its shape. Save the result under a new filename to keep the original.

Set a proportional size in Paint

1. Find Paint through Windows Start or search, then open your existing PNG with File > Open.
2. Look for Resize on the toolbar. In the version pictured in Microsoft’s Paint FAQ, it appears under Home; its location may differ in your version.
3. Choose Pixels and enter your target width. If you see a Maintain aspect ratio option, keep it selected. If you need to enter both dimensions yourself, calculate the height as target width × original height ÷ original width, rounded to a whole pixel.
4. Use Save As and give the resized image a new filename. Check that the original file is still there before using the copy for your upload.

For a 1600 × 1000 PNG, the calculation is 600 × 1000 ÷ 1600 = 375. Entering 600 × 600 instead changes the image from a 1.6:1 rectangle to a square. A circle in the original would appear taller relative to its width.

You can try the calculation with this 1600 × 1000 practice PNG, which contains a circle, rectangle, and line. The resize planner accepts a whole-number original width, original height, and target width, then shows the rounded target height, width percentage, and pixel count.

Check what the upload needs

Resizing from 1600 × 1000 to 600 × 375 makes the width 37.5% of its original size. The new image has 14.0625% as many pixels, but that percentage does not predict the saved file’s size in bytes. If the upload also has a file-size limit, check the saved copy’s actual size in Properties and confirm its dimensions separately.

Resizing changes dimensions; it does not select and remove part of the picture. If you need a different composition, see how to crop an image in Windows. If the upload specifies a file format, see JPEG versus PNG.

Source note: The Paint steps follow Microsoft’s FAQ. The practice PNG is original artwork, and the planner calculates its dimensions. Paint’s interface and export were not tested for this article.