My images are cut (cropped) – about image sizes in WordPress

When you upload an image in WordPress, multiple sizes of your image are instantly created and saved in your uploaded images folder on the web server. This way, the images are available when they are needed in different parts of the website.

Sizes of images

The image sizes available in WordPress usually are:

• The thumbnail, usually 150 x 150 pixels, is cropped to that exact size.
• Medium, usually 300 x 300 pixels. Usually only cropped in width.
• Large, usually 1024 x 1024 pixels. Usually only cropped in width.
• Full, den storleken som bilden har när du laddar upp den

In addition to those sizes, your theme may have added more sizes, any slideshows or other add-ons may also have added image sizes. This means you can have dozens of variations of the same image. The most I have seen was a client who had over 70 sizes of each image. But then they had also installed many plugins.

Image sizes in WordPress in practice

What does this mean for me as an editor in WordPress when I upload an image? Well, let’s say you have a 200 x 150 image that you upload, there are two variants of that image. One that is the size you uploaded and a cropped image of 150 x 150.

The first image is the image I uploaded and the second image is the cropped version created automatically. In this case, the other sizes (medium and large) are not available because the image is too small to create those sizes.

Example 1 – rectangular image

Example 2 – square image

Here I have uploaded an image that is already square from the start and this creates a miniature but does not crop it.

Why are multiple image sizes created and images cropped?

Images are cropped in WordPress to control layouts. Most often, the thumbnail is used on pages that draw information from many different posts. If such a page were to show the images as they have been uploaded, the layout would probably be very cluttered. We have uploaded our images in many different sizes and mixed portrait and landscape formats.

Another thing is that many people upload images almost directly from their digital camera/mobile phone and these images are often very large. Maybe around 2000 x 3000 px. If only a 150px image is to be displayed, it would be inefficient to send such a large image to visitors’ computers/mobiles. It takes resources and slows down your website. Google also thinks it id bad when analysing the site.

If an image is to be used as a thumbnail, it is best to upload it in the correct size.

How can I see which image sizes are used?

You can see what image sizes are set in your theme if you go to Settings => Media in the WordPress panel.

ATTENTION! If you change the settings here, it will affect future images, but not the images you have already uploaded!

If you want to know which image size is used for example in a slideshow, you have to look at the settings for that extension.

Other problems with cropped images

As I wrote before, your theme may have set up image sizes or an extension. I also wrote that the image sizes are created when you upload an image. This leads to problems (maybe) if you change themes or extensions, or change image sizes.

Consider the following scenario: You have a theme that uses 150x150px thumbnails and you’ve been uploading images for years. No problems and everything works fine. But now you change the theme and the new theme uses 200x150px as a thumbnail.

There are still no problems and everything looks good. Since the new thumbnail size does not exist, your website uses the previously created 150x150px thumbnails. But now you upload a new image and a 200x150px thumbnail is created for that particular entry. It can look a bit strange!

There is an add-on that can solve this problem and create all the new image sizes you need if you change the theme https://wordpress.org/plugins/regenerate-thumbnails/.

Read a bit more about images at Checklist when uploading images to your website.