# Best image re-sizing tool?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-image-re-sizing-tool/592129>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [August 9, 2011, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-image-re-sizing-tool/592129 "2011-08-09T21:35:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-image-re-sizing-tool/592129/1 "2011-08-09T21:35:16Z")

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For years the standard was Genuine Fractals, but it has a different name and is sold by a different company - and that is never a good sign. I know there have been some real breakthroughs in the technology, but what is actually purchasable?

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**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-image-re-sizing-tool/592129/2 "2011-08-09T22:21:15Z")

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I do not know what kind of pictures you normal work with.

I use ‘Irfanview’, free, fast, good, does batch work wonderfully, etc…

YMMV

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**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-image-re-sizing-tool/592129/3 "2011-08-09T22:46:13Z")

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I use [FastStone](http://www.faststone.org/FSResizerDetail.htm).  
Also free.

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**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-image-re-sizing-tool/592129/4 "2011-08-09T22:57:10Z")

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If you’re using WinXP, try Microsoft’s own Powertoy Image resizer:

> **[Downloads for Windows - Microsoft Support](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/downloads-for-windows-32490f9b-01ee-c13e-b2af-b5057c2d34e8)**
>
> Learn what you can download to personalize and protect your PC with Windows.

Click the Powertoys tab.  
Once installed, just right click on the file(s) you wish to resize. Really quite nice.

Microsoft saw fit to make that download incompatible with Win7 and not offer one that does work. I found a third party utility that works exactly the same.  
[http://imageresizer.codeplex.com/](http://imageresizer.codeplex.com/)

IrFAN works fine, too.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-image-re-sizing-tool/592129/5 "2011-08-09T23:12:38Z")

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I have plenty of tools that will make the pixels bigger. I was talking about tools that will attempt to examine edges and detail and interpolate the information, like Genuine Fractals - but better. Looking around, I see [PhotoZoom Pro](http://www.benvista.com/photozoompro), and there is a demo program called [SmartEdge](http://audio.rightmark.org/lukin/graphics/resampling.htm) that looks very cool but is not ready for prime time, but on a web site that hasn’t been updated for years (though there are some sleezeballs [selling the free download for $100](http://smartedge-image-resampling.en.softonic.com/))