How to Do Basic Image Editing in WordPress (Crop, Rotate, Scale, Flip)

Do you want to know how to do basic image editing in the WordPress admin area?

WordPress allows you to crop, rotate, flip, and scale image size without the help of any image editor. These features come in handy when you are away from your main computer and uploading images on the go.

In this article, we will show you how to easily use WordPress as a basic image editor that lets you crop, rotate, scale, and flip images.

Why Use WordPress for Basic Image Editing?

The built-in WordPress image editor is a super convenient way to edit images for your WordPress blog. You won’t even need to use any additional software or WordPress plugins.

The image editor also saves a lot of time by allowing users to make simple fixes and adjustments without having to go back and forth between different tools.

With WordPress, you can easily crop, rotate, scale, change dimensions, and flip your images from the media library.

For example, if you want to crop an image to remove excessive background, then you can easily do that with the WordPress image editor instead of buying an expensive tool for it.

Having said that, let’s see how to easily do basic image editing on your WordPress site, step by step.

How to Do Basic Image Editing in WordPress

First, you will need to upload an image to your WordPress media library.

You can easily upload an image using the block editor while writing a post or by visiting the Media » Add New page from the WordPress admin sidebar.

From here, click the ‘Select Files’ button and upload an image file from your computer.

Once you have done that, head over to the Media » Library page from the WordPress admin dashboard.

Here, all the images that you have uploaded to your WordPress website will be displayed on the screen.

Now, you need to locate the image you just uploaded and click on it.

This will open the image in a popup window. You will now see image details on the right side and an image preview on the left.

From here, there are two ways to open the image with the built-in WordPress image editor.

The first option is to click on the ‘Edit image’ button under the image preview. This will open the image editor inside the popup. The second option is to click on the ‘Edit more details’ link.

Clicking on this link will direct you to the Edit Media page.

From here, you need to click the ‘Edit Image’ button to open up the basic image editing tools.

Once you do that, you will see a toolbar with some buttons on top of your image. In the right column, you will also see a bunch of options to resize the image.

You can now easily use the buttons at the top to rotate, flip, or crop images according to your liking.

For example, once you click on the ‘Crop’ button, you can select the specific area to crop out of the original image.

Other than that, you can use the ‘Rotate Left’ or ‘Rotate Right’ buttons to rotate images clockwise and counterclockwise.

You can even flip your images horizontally or vertically according to your liking using different buttons.

You can also use the Undo/Redo buttons to simply undo the changes you don’t like or redo them to revert.

Next, if you want to scale your image, then you can easily add your preferred image dimensions in the ‘Scale Image’ meta box in the left column.

We recommend using this option before cropping an image to maintain your image proportions.

Keep in mind that WordPress only allows you to scale down an image. This means that you cannot make your images larger than they already are.

After that, you can also use the ‘Aspect ratio’ option if you want to keep a certain aspect ratio for your image intact. This feature only works while you are cropping an image.

Next, you can also scroll down to the ‘Thumbnail Settings’ section in the left column to choose if you want to apply these changes to all image sizes, just the thumbnail, or all image sizes except the thumbnail.

Once you are happy with the changes you have made, don’t forget to click on the ‘Save’ button to store your changes.

WordPress will now apply your changes to the image and create a new copy of it on your server.

How to Restore Original Image After Editing

If you are not happy with the edited image, then you can easily revert back to the original version.

Simply open up the Edit Media page for the image once again, and this time you will notice a new meta box labeled ‘Restore original image’.

Go ahead and click to expand the meta box. After that, click on the ‘Restore image’ button.

WordPress will now restore your original image, and you will be able to edit it again or leave it as is.

Bonus: Bulk Edit Featured Images in WordPress

Apart from editing images that you are adding to your blog posts, you can also bulk edit the featured images on your WordPress site.

These are the pictures that are used as thumbnails on your posts.

For instance, if you want to optimize all your images for SEO or are rebranding your website and want your featured images to reflect them, then editing every single image will consume a lot of your energy and time.

However, by bulk editing these feature images, you can ensure a cohesive look for all the images, save time, and streamline the process.

You can easily do that using Quick Featured Images. For details, see our tutorial on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, visit the Featured Images » Overview page from the WordPress dashboard and choose the ‘Set the selected image as a new featured image’ option.

Once you do that, simply upload the image that you want to use as a featured image during the bulk edit process. You can then edit this image and add filters so that the changes will be applied to specific images only.

For details, see our tutorial on how to bulk edit featured images in WordPress.

We hope this article helped you learn how to do basic image editing in the WordPress admin area. You may also want to see our beginner’s guide on how to change the block height and width in WordPress posts, and our expert picks for the best WordPress themes for photographers.

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