Why preview a crop before publishing
Most ad platforms and social networks force your image into a fixed frame. If the source photo doesn’t match the target aspect ratio, the platform crops it — usually from the center, with no regard for where the product, face, or headline sits. The result is the classic cut-off logo or a CTA hidden behind interface buttons.
This tool shows you the damage before it happens. Upload an image, pick a target format, then drag and zoom until the important content sits inside the frame. The output panels report the source dimensions, the target frame, and the exact pixel region that stays visible, so you can reproduce the crop in any editor.
Using safe zones
A safe zone is the inner region of a format that’s guaranteed to stay visible and unobstructed. Vertical story formats are the main offender: platform UI (profile name at the top, CTA and reply bar at the bottom) overlays roughly the top and bottom edges of a 1080 × 1920 story. Anything essential — text, logos, CTAs — belongs in the middle band.
Set top and bottom guide margins and enable the safe-zone overlay to see those regions shaded on your image. A practical starting point for story formats is to keep critical content out of roughly the top 250 px and bottom 250 px; check each platform’s current guidance for exact values, since UI elements change.
Common target formats
- 1:1 square (300 × 300, 1080 × 1080) — feed posts and many display placements; the most forgiving crop.
- 1.91:1 landscape (1200 × 628) — link previews and Google display landscape; tight vertical space, so avoid tall subjects.
- 9:16 vertical (1080 × 1920) — Stories and Reels; needs generous safe zones top and bottom.
For a full list of sizes per platform, see the ad spec reference.
Frequently asked questions
Is my image uploaded to a server?
No. The image is loaded directly into your browser and never leaves your machine — the preview, zoom, and crop math all run locally.
What does the zoom control actually change?
Zoom scales the source image inside the fixed target frame. At 100% the image is fitted as large as possible while covering the frame; zooming in enlarges the image so less of it fits in the frame, letting you crop tighter on the subject.
How do I apply the crop this tool shows me?
The “Visible crop area” panel reports the exact pixel rectangle of the source image that remains visible. Recreate that crop in any image editor, or hand the numbers to a designer — they describe the crop unambiguously.
Why does my image look sharp here but blurry on the platform?
Platforms compress aggressively and may upscale small sources. Start from an image at least as large as the target frame in both dimensions — for a 1080 × 1920 story, a 1080-pixel-wide source is the floor, not the goal.