How to Crop an Image on Windows (4 Methods)

You have an image. You need part of it gone. Maybe there is an awkward stretch of empty wall behind your product shot, or your screenshot captured three browser tabs you would rather not share. Cropping is the fix, and Windows gives you several built-in ways to do it — plus a browser-based option that handles batch work without installing anything.

This guide covers four methods for cropping images on Windows 11 23H2: the Photos app, Paint, Snipping Tool, and Pixotter's browser-based crop tool. Each one fits a different workflow, so pick the one that matches what you actually need.

Crop Methods at a Glance

All four methods keep your images on your machine. Pixotter processes everything client-side in your browser using WebAssembly — nothing gets uploaded to a server.

Method 1: Photos App (Windows 11)

The Photos app is the fastest path from "I have an image" to "I have a cropped image." It opens by default when you double-click most image files, so you are probably already looking at it.

Steps

1. Open your image in the Photos app. Double-click the file, or right-click → Open with → Photos.
2. Enter edit mode. Click the Edit image button in the toolbar (pencil icon), or press Ctrl+E.
3. Select the crop tool. The crop tool loads automatically when you enter edit mode. You will see drag handles on all four corners and edges.
4. Adjust the crop area. Drag any handle to define the region you want to keep. Everything outside the highlighted rectangle gets removed.
5. Lock an aspect ratio (optional). Click the Aspect ratio dropdown below the image. Choose from Free, Original, Square, 16:9, 4:3, 3:2, or 7:5. The handles will snap to that ratio.
6. Apply and save. Click Save options → choose Save (overwrites original) or Save as copy (keeps the original intact).

Tips

• Save as copy is almost always the right choice. You cannot undo a saved crop after closing the app.
• The Photos app does not let you type exact pixel dimensions. If you need a crop at precisely 1200×630 pixels (common for Open Graph images), use Paint or Pixotter's crop tool instead.
• After cropping, you might need to resize the result to specific dimensions — Photos handles that in the same edit mode.

Method 2: Paint

Paint gets mocked, but for cropping it is genuinely good. It shows you exact pixel coordinates as you drag, which makes it the best built-in option when you need precise dimensions.

Steps

1. Open Paint. Press Win, type paint, press Enter. Then open your image with Ctrl+O or File → Open.
2. Select the crop region. Click the Select tool in the Home tab (dotted rectangle icon). Click and drag a rectangle over the area you want to keep. Watch the bottom-left status bar — it shows the selection dimensions in pixels as you drag.
3. Crop. Press Ctrl+Shift+X, or click Image → Crop in the menu bar. Everything outside your selection disappears.
4. Save. Press Ctrl+S to overwrite, or Ctrl+Shift+S to save as a new file. Paint supports saving as PNG, JPEG, BMP, GIF, and TIFF.

Tips

• Need an exact crop size? After making your selection, look at the pixel dimensions in the status bar. If they are not quite right, hold Shift while dragging a corner to fine-tune.
• Paint is the only built-in Windows tool that shows real-time pixel dimensions during selection. The Photos app hides this information.
• For more advanced editing after cropping, check out how to resize images in Paint — it covers the resize dialog and interpolation options.

Method 3: Snipping Tool (Crop from Screenshot)

The Snipping Tool is not technically an image editor, but it solves a specific problem perfectly: you need to capture and crop a portion of your screen in one action. No opening files, no dragging handles — just draw a rectangle and you have a cropped screenshot.

Steps

1. Launch the Snipping Tool. Press Win+Shift+S. Your screen dims and a small toolbar appears at the top.
2. Choose Rectangle Snip. It is selected by default (first icon). The other modes — Freeform, Window, and Full Screen — are useful but less relevant for cropping.
3. Draw your crop. Click and drag a rectangle over the region you want to capture. Release the mouse to complete the capture.
4. Edit (optional). A notification appears in the bottom-right corner. Click it to open the capture in the Snipping Tool editor, where you can annotate, highlight, or re-crop.
5. Save. In the editor, press Ctrl+S or click the save icon. Default format is PNG.

Tips

• Win+Shift+S works from anywhere — inside apps, on the desktop, even during video playback. It captures whatever is visible on screen.
• The Snipping Tool also has a delay option (click the clock icon) that lets you set a 3, 5, or 10-second timer before the snip activates. Useful for capturing dropdown menus or tooltips that disappear when you move the mouse.
• If you already have a screenshot saved as a file and want to crop it, open it in Photos or Paint instead. The Snipping Tool is for screen-to-crop, not file-to-crop.

Method 4: Pixotter (Browser-Based, Works on Any OS)

Pixotter runs in your browser and processes images entirely on your device using WebAssembly. No uploads, no accounts, no installs. It fills the gaps the built-in tools leave: batch cropping, precise dimension input, and format conversion all in one step.

Steps

1. Open Pixotter. Go to pixotter.com/crop in any browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge — all work).
2. Drop your images. Drag files onto the drop zone, or click to browse. You can drop multiple images at once for batch cropping.
3. Set crop dimensions. Type exact pixel values, choose an aspect ratio preset, or drag the crop handles visually. Pixotter shows a live preview as you adjust.
4. Choose output format. Pick PNG, JPEG, WebP, or AVIF. If you are cropping images for the web, WebP gives you the best size-to-quality ratio.
5. Download. Click the download button. For batch jobs, Pixotter bundles everything into a single ZIP.

When Pixotter Beats the Built-in Tools

• Batch work. You have 30 product photos that all need the same crop. Photos and Paint handle one image at a time. Pixotter does the entire batch in one pass.
• Format conversion. You want to crop AND convert to WebP in one step. Built-in tools cannot export to WebP or AVIF.
• Cross-platform consistency. You switch between Windows and Mac. Pixotter works identically on both — same interface, same results. See our guide on how to crop images on Mac for the macOS-native alternatives.
• No install required. Shared computers, locked-down corporate machines, or Chromebooks where you cannot install software — Pixotter works anywhere you have a browser.

Keyboard Shortcuts Reference

Print this table or bookmark this page. The shortcuts alone will save you minutes per day if you crop images regularly.

FAQ

Can I crop an image to exact pixel dimensions on Windows?

Yes, but only Paint and Pixotter show you exact pixel values during the crop. The Photos app lets you drag handles and lock aspect ratios, but it does not display pixel dimensions. If you need a crop at precisely 1200×630 pixels, use Paint (watch the status bar) or type the dimensions directly into Pixotter's crop tool.

Does cropping reduce image quality?

Cropping itself does not reduce quality — it just removes pixels from the edges. However, saving the result as a JPEG will recompress the image, which can introduce artifacts. To avoid quality loss, save as PNG (lossless). If you need a smaller file size afterward, crop first, then compress separately.

How do I crop multiple images at once on Windows?

The built-in Windows tools (Photos, Paint, Snipping Tool) only handle one image at a time. For batch cropping, use Pixotter — drop all your images at once, set the crop dimensions, and download the batch as a ZIP. No installs, no sign-ups.

What is the difference between cropping and resizing?

Cropping removes parts of the image you do not want — it cuts away the edges. Resizing changes the entire image's dimensions without removing any content. If your photo is 4000×3000 and you crop it to the center 2000×2000, you lose the outer portions. If you resize it to 2000×1500, you keep everything but at a smaller scale. Often you need both: crop first to get the right composition, then resize to hit the target file size. See our guide to resizing images on Windows for the resize step.

Can I undo a crop after saving?

Only if you saved a copy. In Photos, choose Save as copy instead of Save. In Paint, use Save As (Ctrl+Shift+S) to create a new file. If you overwrote the original, the crop is permanent — there is no way to recover the removed pixels. Get in the habit of always saving to a new file.

Is Pixotter safe? Where do my images go?

Your images stay on your device. Pixotter uses WebAssembly to process everything inside your browser — no files are uploaded to any server. Close the tab and your images are gone from memory. This also means Pixotter works offline after the initial page load. For more advanced edits like cropping in Photoshop, you will need desktop software, but for standard crops Pixotter handles it without any privacy trade-offs.