Add Padding to an Image & Make It Square (Online, In Your Browser)
Add margins around an image to make it square or fit any aspect ratio, without scaling or cropping it. Use 1:1 or 4:5 for social posts and 16:9 for video thumbnails, and fill the margins with a color or leave them transparent. Everything runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded. To cut parts away, try the Image Cropper; to change the size, use the Image Resizer.
🔒 Runs in your browser · Your data is never sent to a server
Drag and drop an image here, or pick one with the button.
The same width is added on every side. Extra space needed to reach the aspect ratio is added automatically on top of this.
JPEG cannot hold transparency, so transparent areas are saved as white.
Preview
How to use
- Drag and drop an image file into the box, or pick one with the button.
- Choose the result shape under "Aspect ratio". To add margins only, pick "No ratio (margins only)" and enter "Margin to add (px, all sides)".
- Pick a "Background color", or tick "Transparent background".
- Choose a "Format" and click "Download padded image" to save it.
Notes
- The original image is neither scaled nor cropped. It is placed unchanged in the center of the margins.
- "JPEG" cannot hold transparency, so transparent areas are filled with white. Choose "PNG" or "WebP" to keep transparency.
- When fitting an aspect ratio, margins are added only along the shorter side, so the result is never smaller than the original.
- For GIF and animated WebP, only the first frame is used.
- Images up to 16384 px per side and 50 million pixels in total can be loaded, and the same limit applies to the output. The orientation stored in smartphone photos (EXIF) is applied automatically.
Glossary
Letterboxing (padding)
Filling the missing area with bands of margin instead of changing the aspect ratio of the image. The image is not distorted or cropped.
Aspect ratio
The ratio of an image width to its height. 1:1 is a square, 4:5 is portrait, and 16:9 is a widescreen shape. Each social network has recommended ratios.
Transparency (alpha channel)
A mechanism that makes part of an image see-through. PNG and WebP support it, while JPEG does not.
FAQ
Will my image be cropped or stretched when I make it square?
No. The original is neither scaled nor cropped. Margins are added along the shorter side and the image is placed in the center. Just choose "1:1 (square)" under "Aspect ratio" to get a square image for social profiles or posts.
Can I save the margins as transparent?
Tick "Transparent background" and save as "PNG" or "WebP" to keep the margins transparent. JPEG cannot hold transparency, so transparent areas are saved as white.
Is the pixel margin applied before or after the aspect ratio?
The "Margin to add (px, all sides)" is added to every side first, and then extra margin is added along the shorter side to reach the chosen ratio. To add margins only, set the aspect ratio to "No ratio (margins only)".
Can I use a ratio other than 1:1 or 4:5?
Choose "Custom" under "Aspect ratio" and type any values into "Ratio width" and "Ratio height". Ratios such as 21:9 or 2:3 work as well.
Is my image uploaded to a server?
No. Adding margins and exporting all happen in your browser, and the image is never sent anywhere.
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