Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: In Paint (Windows)
• Method 2 of 3: Using Preview on a Mac
• Method 3 of 3: In Photoshop or GIMP
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

A thumbnail (thumbnail image) is a reduced image of a photo or video. They are used on websites to link to images and videos. This wikiHow teaches you how to create thumbnails using various photo editing programs.

To step

Method 1 of 3: In Paint (Windows)

1. Open Paint. Paint has an icon that resembles a painter's palette. Use the following steps to open Paint for Windows.
   • Click on the Windows Start menu in the lower left corner.
   • Type "Paint".
   • Click the Paint icon.
2. Open an image that you want to make a thumbnail of. Use the following steps to open an image in Paint.
   • Click File in the top left corner.
   • click on To open.
   • Select an image.
   • click on To open.
3. Create a copy of the image. Be careful not to resize the original image. Save the image as a separate copy. Add "thumbnail" or something similar to the end of the copy of the image (eg wedding photo_thumbnail.webp). Use the following steps to make a copy of the image:
   • click on File.
   • click on Save as.
   • Type a name for the image next to "File name".
   • Click Save.
4. click on Resize. This is in the top left corner above the box labeled "Image".
5. Check "Percentage". It's at the top of the "Resize and Skew" window.
6. Enter the percentage you want to reduce next to "Horizontal" or "Vertical". 10% is a good size for a thumbnail. Larger photos will have to be reduced more.
   • Alternatively, you can select "Pixels" and type in the exact dimensions you want in Pixels next to "Vertical" and "Horizontal".
7. click on OK. This will reduce the size of the photo.
8. Save the image. Use the following steps to reduce the size of the image.
   • click on File
   • click on Save.

Method 2 of 3: Using Preview on a Mac

1. Open an image in Preview. Preview is the default image viewer on the Mac. You can double-click an image on your Mac to open it in Preview.
2. Duplicate the image. Be careful not to resize the original image. Follow the steps below to duplicate the image in Preview.
   • click on File in the top right corner of the menu bar.
   • click on Duplicate.
3. click on Tools. It's in the menu bar at the top of the screen. Make sure to use a copy of the image as your active image.
4. click on Adjust size. This is in the menu under "Tools".
5. Select "Percentage". Use the drop-down menu next to "Width" and "Height" to select "Percentage".
6. Type the percentage of the image you want to resize. Type this next to "Width" or "Height". 10% is a good image size for a large thumbnail. The amount you want to reduce may vary depending on the size of the image.
   • Alternatively, you can select "Pixels" and specify the exact dimensions in pixels for the image, next to "Width" and "Height".
7. click on OK. This will shrink the image.
8. Save the image. It is a good idea to add the text "thumbnail" or something similar to the end of the copy of the image (eg wedding photo_thumbnail.webp) when you save the copy of the image. Use the following steps to save the image.
   • Click File.
   • click on Save.
   • Type a name for the image next to "Save As".
   • click on Save.

Method 3 of 3: In Photoshop or GIMP

1. Open Photoshop or GIMP. Photoshop is the most popular image editor. It requires a version or subscription from Adobe. If Photoshop doesn't have it, you can download and install GIMP for free. It has similar functions to Photoshop.
2. Open an image that you want to reduce the size. Use the following steps to open an image in Photoshop or GIMP:
   • click on File in the top left corner.
   • click on To open.
   • Select an image.
   • click on To open.
3. Save a copy of the photo. If you want to edit the photo, do it before making a copy of the photo. You should also add "thumbnail" or something similar to the end of the file name. When you are done, follow the steps below to save a copy of the photo:
   • click on File
   • click on Save as.
   • Type a name for the image next to "File name".
   • click on Save.
4. Crop the image (optional). If you want to fit the image into a certain shape, you can crop it. The Crop tool has an icon that resembles two right angles that form a square. Use the following steps to crop the image:
   • Click the crop tool in the toolbar on the left.
   • Click and drag over the part of the image you want to keep.
   • Double click inside the image.
5. click on Image. It's in the menu bar at the top of the screen.
6. click on Image size or Scale Image. This is the option to resize the image.
7. Select "Percentage". This is in the drop-down menu next to "Height" and "Width".
8. Enter the percentage by which you want to reduce the image. Type this next to "Width" or "Height". 10% is a good image size for a large thumbnail image. The degree to which you want to reduce the image can vary, depending on the size of the image.
   • Alternatively, you can select "Pixels" and type in the exact dimensions in Pixels for the image, next to "Width" and "Height".
9. click on OK or Bowls. This scales the image down.
   • You can optionally apply saturation to the thumbnail image. You can do this by adding a saturation adjustment layer in the Adjustment panel on the right in Photoshop, or by clicking the "Colors" drop-down menu at the top of GIMP.
   • You can also apply a sharpening filter. You can do this by clicking on the Filtersmenu at the top in both Photoshop and GIMP.
10. Save the image. Follow the steps below to save the thumbnail in Photoshop or GIMP.
    • Click File.
    • click on Save as (Photoshop) or Export as (GIMP).
    • Select JPEG as the image extension, from the drop-down menu next to "Format" in Photoshop, or under "Select File Type" in GIMP.
    • click on Save (Photoshop) or Export (GIMP).

Tips

• The thumbnail size for YouTube thumbnails is 1280 × 720.

Warnings

• Do not resize the original image. Always use a copy of the original to create JPEG thumbnails.

Necessities

• Digital images
• Photo editing software