Default functionality of WordPress uploads all images with their real sizes and then generates new custom sizes like a thumbnail size image, medium size image, large size image and keeps a copy of original image with its real size. Suppose your website’s maximum width is 1200px and you have a 300 px sidebar then all content space you have is 900px, now what is need of keeping images larger than 900px when you don’t have space to show them. It increases unnecessary weight on your server and also posts with large images makes your webpages slow and heavy.
A few days back, a WordPress user asked us if these’s a plugin or hack for auto-scaling images on upload. Fortunately we have found a good plugin Enable Image Scaling on Upload by Drew Jaynes. The plugin allows you set maximum width and height dimensions for images uploaded through WordPress ‘Add Media’ button.
The plugin keeps the ratio of your image and doesn’t makes them look bad on your website, all you have to do is type in a custom width in its admin page and give a good maximum height to maintain the ratio of your images.
How To Enable Image Scaling on Upload?
Install and activate Enable Image Scaling on Upload plugin. After activation visit your admin area dashboard Settings -> Media and scroll down to image scaling section and make sure it is enabled. Now set your maximum image dimensions, save the settings and that’s it.
Now all images exceeding the given width/height will be scaled down to your custom width when uploaded on your WordPress site.