Resizing Photos (in Windows)

Looking for a (free) way to freely resize photos? Try one of these...

Using Image Resizer PowerToy (for Windows XP)
To install:

1. Download the installer for the Image Resizer from Microsoft (here).
2. As an administrator, run the installer.
3. It should now be integrated into the context menu for Windows Explorer (i.e. when you right-click on images).

To use:

1. In Windows Explorer, select one or more images.
2. Right-click and choose "Resize Pictures".
3. Options include a specific bounding size (can make images larger or smaller) and whether to resize the originals.

Pros:

• Works on multiple images at once.
• Intuitive interface (i.e. easy for technically-challenged users).
• Easy to specify exact dimensions.
• (Optionally) creates copies.

Cons:

• Works only on Windows XP.

Using Microsoft Paint (MSPaint)
"MSPaint" should already come installed.

To open an image file, do one of the following (whichever is easiest):

• From the Start menu, choose "All Programs > Accessories > Paint" (the options might be slightly different, depending on your version of Windows). Now click "File > Open" and find your image file.
• In Windows Explorer, right-click on an image file and choose "Edit".
• Double-clicking on an image file should open Windows Picture and Fax viewer. Find the button that with the tool-tip something like "Close this program and open it in an editing program."
• Right-click on an image file and choose "Open With... > Paint".
• If all else fails, open a Run dialog (choose "Run..." from the Start menu), type "mspaint" and hit OK. Now click "File > Open" and find your image file.

 To resize an image (once MSPaint is open):

• Once you have an image file open in MSPaint, find out the current dimensions of your image. Choose "Image > Attributes..." from the menu (or use the shortcut "Ctrl+E"). Make sure the unit is pixels.
• To resize the image, choose "Image > Stretch/Skew..." from the menu (or use the shortcut "Ctrl+W").
• Under Stretch, enter the desired scale to the original image dimensions in both the Horizontal and Vertical options. For example, if my original image is 2000x3000 pixels and I want it to fit in an 800x800 px frame, I'd use 26.6 as the scale in both dimensions (since 3000 is the larger dimension and 800/3000 = 26.6).
• Hit OK.
• If you didn't get the scale right, choose "Edit > Undo" from the menu (or use the shortcut "Ctrl+Z") and try again.
• If you do like the new dimensions, choose "File > Save As..." from the menu (or use the shortcut "Ctrl+S") and enter a new file name.
• If at any time you decide that you don't really want to resize the image, use "File > Open..." to choose a different image file or use "File > Exit" to close Paint.

Pros:

• Pre-installed.
• Easy to find.

Cons:

• One image at a time.
• Un-intuitive to find and use "Stretch/Skew" in menu.
• Can only resize dimensions by percentages (break out your calculators).
•  Requires that you know the current dimensions.