Resizing Screenshots and Images for Tutorials and Documents

Documents with many images can become huge. A consistent approach keeps them readable and light.

The problem

A guide with twenty full-resolution screenshots can reach tens of megabytes. That makes it slow to open, hard to email and awkward to share.

Decide on a standard width

Choose one width for most images, for example:

Document type	Suggested image width
A4 document (printed or PDF)	1200 to 1600 px for full-width images
Slide deck	1600 to 1920 px for full-screen images
Web guide	800 to 1200 px
Email newsletter	about 600 px

Consistent widths look professional.

Steps

1. Crop each screenshot to the relevant area.
2. Resize to your standard width, keeping the ratio.
3. Compress at a medium-to-high quality.
4. Name files in order: step-01.png, step-02.png.
5. Insert into the document.
6. Check that the text in each image is readable.

Keep text readable

• Don't shrink too far. Small text becomes unreadable.
• Zoom into the important part of the screen, rather than showing the whole display.
• Use annotations such as arrows and boxes to guide attention.

Format choices

Image type	Format
Screenshots with text	PNG, or high-quality JPEG
Photos	JPEG

Protect private data

Before sharing a guide, check screenshots for names, email addresses, numbers or account details, and cover them.

Accessibility

Add alt text or captions describing each image, so readers who can't see it still follow the guide.

Save time with batches

If you have many images to prepare, work in batches. A batch-friendly resizing tool helps you process a whole folder to the same width and quality.

Tips

1. Pick one width and stick to it.
2. Crop tightly.
3. Check text readability.

Try Image Compress & Resize Tool →