Do not attempt to increase the file size or dimensions of an image that is too small – it will result in a stretched or pixelated picture.

Try to find the original image file (and then resize this version if over 4mb), or scan/take a new photograph of your work. It goes without saying that using quality images to represent your work is vital. Low quality pictures look unprofessional and may also distort the appearance of your artwork.

If your image file is larger than 4 mega-bites you will need to make it smaller for this website. (Remember to save the new version as a separate file so you still have the larger original version for the future!)

Most computers have in-built software that allows you to resize, crop and straighten your images. If you are not sure how to do this, here are some easy tools to help:

If you have a Mac here’s a how-to guide on resizing images in the application Preview.

If your PC runs on Windows 10 you can edit photos with the Microsoft Photos programme. Here’s a guide. Note: Try the M (medium) image size option first and adjust as necessary.

There’s also an online tool, Pixlr, that lets you crop, straighten, rotate, and resize images and other basic editing tasks. On the left column of icons select the one at the very top titled ‘Properties’ for the resize function.

If you do not want to change the image’s dimensions but need to reduce file size, you can compress your image here.

Don’t increase the size of a small image — it will look blurry. You can size down, but you can’t size up.
Don’t stretch or squash your image when resizing it: make sure the “Scale Proportionally,” “Constrain Proportions,” ‘Maintain aspect ratio”, or similar box is checked so the height and width dimensions change together proportionally.

With a higher resolution, the image will have more pixels, adding detail that is most noticeable when the image is viewed at full size. However, this also increases the file size, and this can be problematic when creating web-friendly content. Generally, a resolution of about 180 pixels per inch is plenty enough for digital needs.