Crop an Image to a 3:2 Aspect Ratio
Prepare a photo for a 4 × 6 print or give it a classic camera-style frame. Move the locked 3:2 selection, check you have enough pixels for your print size, and download.
Drop an image here to crop it to 3:2
JPG, PNG or WebP up to 50 MB. HEIC works in Safari.
Private by designYour image is opened and cropped in your browser. It isn’t uploaded to a server.
FormatsOpen JPG, PNG and WebP (HEIC in Safari). Save as JPG, PNG or WebP where your browser supports it.
3:2 · landscapeFor example 1500 × 1000 px. Any size with the same proportions works.
What Is a 3:2 Aspect Ratio?
A 3:2 aspect ratio is three units wide for every two units tall, so the width is exactly 1.5 times the height. It sits between the squarer 4:3 and the wider 16:9, giving a frame that suits both landscapes and people.
Turned upright, the same shape is 2:3. A 1500 × 1000 landscape and a 1000 × 1500 portrait have the same proportions; this tool crops landscape 3:2, and you can rotate a portrait photo to work with it.
Why 3:2 Is Common in Photography
3:2 comes from 35 mm film, whose frame measures 36 × 24 mm. Most interchangeable-lens cameras, both DSLR and mirrorless, kept those proportions for their sensors, so their photos are 3:2 straight out of the camera. A 24-megapixel camera, for example, typically produces 6000 × 4000 pixel images.
It also matches one of the most popular print sizes. A 4 × 6 inch print is exactly 3:2, so a camera photo prints at that size without cropping, while most phone photos (4:3) need a small trim.
How to Crop an Image to 3:2
- Choose an image or drag it onto the upload area. JPG, PNG and WebP work in every modern browser.
- The 3:2 frame appears over your photo, already locked to the ratio. Drag it to move it, or drag a corner to make it bigger or smaller. You can also use the zoom slider.
- Rotate the photo if it’s sideways, and turn on the grid if you want help with composition.
- Check the output size. It starts at the full size of your crop; type a width or height to make the download smaller, and the other side updates to keep exactly 3:2.
- Pick JPG, PNG or WebP, then select Download.
Tip: if you’re printing, crop first and leave the output size as large as your crop. Resizing down is better left to the print lab, which knows its printer’s resolution.
Cropping vs resizing
Cropping cuts away the area outside the frame and changes the shape to 3:2. Changing the output size then resizes what’s left, scaling it up or down evenly, so nothing is ever stretched. To change only the pixel size of an image without cropping it, use an image resizer; to shrink the file afterwards, an image compressor can help.
3:2 Dimensions for Common Photo Prints
Print sharpness depends on pixels as well as shape. 300 pixels per inch is a common guideline for photo prints viewed up close; larger prints viewed from further away can use less.
| Size (px) | Typical use |
|---|---|
| 1500 × 1000 | Web images and online galleries |
| 1800 × 1200 | 4 × 6 in (10 × 15 cm) print at 300 ppi |
| 2400 × 1600 | 5⅓ × 8 in print at 300 ppi, or a large web image |
| 3600 × 2400 | 8 × 12 in print at 300 ppi |
| 5400 × 3600 | 12 × 18 in print at 300 ppi |
| 6000 × 4000 | Typical full-size 24 MP camera image |
For a portrait (2:3) print, rotate your photo so it’s upright and swap the numbers above.
3:2 vs 4:3: Which Should You Choose?
Choose by destination. If the photo is going to a 4 × 6 print, 8 × 12 print or anything else in the 3:2 family, crop to 3:2. If it’s going into a 4:3 slide, frame or layout, use the 4:3 cropper.
Visually, 3:2 is a little wider and more open, while 4:3 is closer to a square and shows more above and below the subject. Cropping a 4:3 phone photo to 3:2 removes about 11% of its height, so it’s worth checking that nothing important sits at the top or bottom edge.
How to Preserve Important Details When Cropping
- Start from the full frame. The crop opens as large as possible, so first try only moving it, not zooming.
- Shift rather than shrink. If something is cut off at the top, drag the frame up before reaching for the zoom.
- Mind the print margin. Some labs trim a few millimetres from edges, so keep text and faces slightly inside the frame.
- Need something wider for a screen? 16:9 is the widescreen option; for a balanced square, try 1:1.
Crop to Another Aspect Ratio
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a 4 × 6 print 3:2?
Yes. 6 divided by 4 is 1.5, the same as 3 divided by 2. That’s why camera photos fit 4 × 6 prints without cropping.
How many pixels do I need for a 4 × 6 print?
At 300 pixels per inch, a 4 × 6 print needs 1800 × 1200 pixels. Fewer pixels can still print acceptably, but fine detail may look softer up close.
What is the difference between 3:2 and 2:3?
They’re the same proportions in different orientations. 3:2 is landscape (wider than tall) and 2:3 is portrait. Rotate an upright photo before cropping if you need it in landscape.
Will cropping reduce print quality?
Cropping keeps the remaining pixels unchanged, but it reduces how many there are. A heavily cropped image has fewer pixels to spread across the print, so the largest sharp print size gets smaller.