Resizing images in macOS is easily done in the Preview app, but if your daily workflow requires you to scale images to a specific size – for uploading to a blog, for example – then using an image resize service is a much faster way of getting the job done.

resize image service with automator
In this article, we'll show you how to use the Automator app to create a simple service that will have you resizing images in just a couple of clicks, without even going near an image editing app. Keep reading to learn how it's done.

How to Create a Resize Image Service in Automator

  1. Launch Automator from the Applications folder.
    1 Automator

  2. Click New Document.

  3. Choose Service as the type of your document.
    2 Automator document type

  4. Click the Service receives selected dropdown menu and select image files.

  5. Select Files and Folders in the Actions sidebar, and drag Get Specified Finder Items to the workflow area.
    resize image service automator image files

  6. Select Photos in the Actions sidebar, and drag Scale Images to the workflow area.
    image resize service automator scale action

  7. Automator will prompt you to add a Copy Finder Items Action to save the original files in a separate folder. We're sticking to a simple workflow of resizing images here, so we click Don't Add.

  8. In the Scale Images action panel, type the width that you want to resize your images to. We're going to use 1200 pixels.
    image resize service automator pixel size

  9. In the Automator menu bar, select File -> Save..., call your new service "Resize Image", and click Save.

Next time you want to resize an image, simply right-click (or Ctrl-click) the file in Finder and select Services -> Resize Image from the contextual dropdown menu. You can also drag a selection box over several images and resize them all in one go using the service.

resize image service
Why not assign a key shortcut to your image resize service to speed up the process? To do so, launch System Preferences, select the Keyboard pane, and click the Shortcuts tab. Select Services from the sidebar and you should find Resize Image near the bottom of the list. Just click it, select Add Shortcut, and finally, enter your custom key combination.

resize image service shortcut

Top Rated Comments

TheralSadurns Avatar
77 months ago
@MacRumors:

I really like these kind of tutorials. But I think you should try to find a way to group and organize them. So that people can find them after the fact.

Maybe create an overview page with an index... or make it a wiki or something. The things listed here are really cool and useful... like this they may be underused though.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Xavier Avatar
77 months ago
Automater is one of those tools that hardly anyone knows about. I use it all the time to convert a bulk amount of files, like PDF to JPG.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Glmnet1 Avatar
77 months ago
@MacRumors:

I really like these kind of tutorials. But I think you should try to find a way to group and organize them. So that people can find them after the fact.

Maybe create an overview page with an index... or make it a wiki or something. The things listed here are really cool and useful... like this they may be underused though.
There is one right there: https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/macos-10-13/#macos_high_sierra_guides_and_tutorials

It's not very easy to find though!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18: What to Expect From 'Biggest' Update in iPhone's History

Wednesday March 27, 2024 11:10 am PDT by
At least some Apple software engineers continue to believe that iOS 18 will be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. "The iOS 18 update is expected to be the most ambitious overhaul of the iPhone's software in its history, according to people working on the upgrade," wrote Gurman, in a r...
maxresdefault

Apple to Launch New iPad Pro and iPad Air Models in May

Thursday March 28, 2024 11:07 am PDT by
Apple will introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in early May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously suggested the new iPads would come out in March, and then April, but the timeline has been pushed back once again. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple is working on updates to both the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro models will...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

Apple Releases Revised Versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 With Updated Build Number

Wednesday March 27, 2024 5:59 am PDT by
Apple on late Tuesday released revised versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 with an updated build number of 21E237, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The updates previously had a build number of 21E236. The revised updates are available for all iPhone and iPad models that are compatible with iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, but they can only be installed via the Finder app on macOS...
applephilschiller

Apple's Phil Schiller Works 80 Hours a Week Overseeing App Store

Wednesday March 27, 2024 2:03 pm PDT by
With the App Store and app ecosystem undergoing major changes in the European Union, The Wall Street Journal today shared a profile on App Store chief Phil Schiller, who is responsible for the App Store. Though Schiller transitioned from marketing chief to "Apple Fellow" in 2020 to take a step back from Apple and spend more time on personal projects and friends, he is reportedly working...