FIELD NOTE / 02
Choose the canvas before the image
Composition starts with where your image will live.
Work backwards from the destination
Measure the space where the image will appear. A square product card, a landscape article header and a vertical poster are different compositions, even when they show the same object. Start with the closest supported generation ratio. Ask for margin around the subject when several crops will be needed. Generating a tightly cropped square and stretching it into a banner distorts proportions; simply resizing cannot repair that decision.
Calculate dimensions without distortion
For a 3:2 image at 1200 pixels wide, height is 1200 × 2 ÷ 3 = 800 pixels. The calculator on our tools page performs this calculation. With “Keep aspect ratio” enabled, the resizer calculates the matching dimension from the original file. Turning it off stretches the image to your chosen dimensions; it does not crop. Use that option only when the distortion is intentional. Pixel dimensions describe the file, not its physical print size.
Allow space for a responsive crop
A website may use object-fit: cover, which fills a box by cutting off the excess. A subject near the edge can disappear on a phone even when the desktop view looks correct. Keep important features inside a central safe area and test the narrowest layout. If a face or a product must stay visible, create a separate mobile crop instead of relying on one file for every screen.
Inspect the final export
Open the downloaded file, confirm its width and height, and compare it with the source. Look for stretched circles and clipped details. Keep an untouched source so future layouts do not require another paid generation. Resizing upwards adds pixels by interpolation; it does not restore detail that was never present.