# Image Stretcher > To stretch an image, add it to the image stretcher on this page, type a new width and height in pixels or percent with the ratio unlocked, then download a PNG or JPG. Each side can be 1 to 10,000 px. It's free and runs in your browser, so nothing is uploaded. To change the shape without distortion, Kenerate's Expand Image adds new background with AI instead, for credits. URL: https://kenerateai.com/image-stretcher Publisher: Kenerate AI (https://kenerateai.com) Last updated: 14 November 2026 ## Key facts - Cost: Free · no credits - Account: Not needed - Pictures in: JPG, PNG, WebP up to 50 MB - Size: Pixels or percent, 1 to 10,000 px a side - Aspect ratio: Unlocked to stretch, locked to resize - Quick shapes: 1:1, 4:5, 9:16, 16:9, 3:1 - Download: PNG or JPG, up to 40 megapixels - Uploads: None, stretched in your browser ## Steps 1. Add your picture — Choose a JPG, PNG or WebP up to 50 MB, drop it on the box at the top of this page, or paste it. 2. Set the size — Pick Pixels or Percent and type the width and height. Leave Lock aspect ratio off to stretch, or tick it to resize evenly. 3. Or pick a shape — Press 1:1, 4:5, 9:16, 16:9 or 3:1 to stretch to that shape at the same width. Original size puts it back. 4. Download — Check the preview, then press Download PNG or Download JPG. ## In depth ### Stretch, crop or expand: which do you need? All three can change a picture's shape. They differ in what happens to its content: - Stretch keeps the whole picture and changes its shape. Quick and free, but round things turn oval. - Crop keeps the shape of everything and cuts part of the picture away. Use the image cropper or the circle crop. - Expand keeps everything at its own shape and adds new area around it with AI. Use Expand Image when nothing may be cut and nothing may look bent; it uses credits. ### How much stretch is too much? The tool shows how much each side changes. When the shape changes by more than 1.5×, it adds a note, because people, wheels and circles look clearly wrong by then. In our examples, the mug at 1.33× already looks squat, the lighthouse banner at 1.69× looks squashed, and the bicycle at 2.65× has tall oval wheels. Flat artwork, like the poster stretched to 200% wide, hides it much better. ### What we tested We checked the size maths in Node and ran the tool's own drawing code in Microsoft Edge on Windows on the pictures above: - Every result came out at exactly the width and height typed. - Percent sizes round to the nearest pixel: 200% of 880 px is 1760 px. - With the ratio locked, 800 px wide on a 1600 × 1200 picture gave 800 × 600. - Not tested: Safari, Firefox and phones. ### Smooth or pixel art? By default the tool uses the browser's high-quality scaling, which blends neighbouring pixels so photos look smooth. Pixel art and sharp-edged icons look blurry that way, so tick Pixel art: every pixel is copied as a hard-edged block instead. ## FAQ Q: How do I stretch an image? A: Add it to the image stretcher at the top of this page, leave Lock aspect ratio off, and type the width and height you want. Then press Download PNG or Download JPG. Q: Is this image stretcher free? A: Yes. It uses no credits, needs no account and adds no watermark, because your own browser does the work. Q: Is my picture uploaded? A: No. The picture is opened and stretched in your browser, so it never reaches our servers. You can check in the Network tab of your browser's developer tools. Q: How do I stretch an image without distorting it? A: You can't stretch without some distortion, because stretching changes the shape of everything in the picture. To get a new shape without bending it, use Kenerate's Expand Image, which adds new background around the picture with AI. It uses credits, and new accounts get starter credits. Q: What's the difference between stretching and resizing? A: Resizing keeps the ratio, so the picture gets bigger or smaller evenly. Stretching changes the width and height by different amounts, so the picture changes shape. Tick Lock aspect ratio to resize, untick it to stretch. Q: Can I stretch an image by percent? A: Yes. Choose Percent and type, for example, 200 for the width and 100 for the height to make the picture twice as wide. Q: How big can I stretch a picture? A: Each side can be 1 to 10,000 pixels, and the download can be up to 40 megapixels, such as 8000 × 5000. Larger than that, the tool asks you to make it smaller, because many phones can't draw it. Q: Does stretching lower the quality? A: Making a picture larger spreads its pixels, so it looks softer; making it smaller drops detail. PNG saves the result exactly, and JPG makes a smaller file. Q: How do I stretch a picture to 16:9 for a banner or thumbnail? A: Press 16:9 to stretch it at the same width. If the stretch is obvious, crop it to 16:9 with the image cropper or expand it with Expand Image instead. ## Related pages - Expand Image AI: https://kenerateai.com/expand-image-ai - Image cropper: https://kenerateai.com/image-cropper - AI image upscaler: https://kenerateai.com/ai-image-upscaler - Circle crop: https://kenerateai.com/circle-crop - Invert image colors: https://kenerateai.com/invert-image-colors - Uncrop image: https://kenerateai.com/uncrop-image - Rotate image: https://kenerateai.com/rotate-image - Flip image: https://kenerateai.com/flip-image ## Sources - MDN — CanvasRenderingContext2D drawImage(): https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/CanvasRenderingContext2D/drawImage - MDN — imageSmoothingQuality: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/CanvasRenderingContext2D/imageSmoothingQuality - Wikipedia — Image scaling: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_scaling - Wikipedia — Aspect ratio (image): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspect_ratio_(image)