How to save images in full size
Most sites show you a small, compressed copy of a picture and keep the big original behind it. Right-click and "Save image" gives you the small one. Here is how to get the original, from one post or a whole page.
Why "Save image as" gives you a small file
Pages load fast because they show resized copies: a 400 pixel thumbnail in a feed, a 1080 pixel version in the viewer, while the upload was 4000 pixels wide. Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, Behance, Imgur and most shops work this way. The original is still on their servers, with a predictable address. That is the file we fetch.
Way 1: paste the link (any device)
- Copy the link of the post, pin or image page. On most sites that is Share, then Copy link.
- Paste it into the online downloader, or the matching page such as the Pinterest downloader, the Imgur downloader or the Instagram downloader, and press Find media.
- Every picture of the post is listed under Images with its pixel size. Press Download on one, or "Download all" to get them together as a zip.
Pictures keep their original format, usually JPG, PNG or WebP, and their original size. Nothing is recompressed.
Way 2: the Chrome extension (whole pages)
1. Open the page
Go to the page with the pictures you want: a portfolio, a gallery, a product page or a post. Scroll through it once so every picture has loaded.
2. Click the icon and open the Images tab
Click the extension icon, then press "Images" at the top of the popup. Every picture on the page is listed with its size in pixels. Icons, buttons and tiny thumbnails are left out.
3. Download one, or all
Press Download on a single picture, or "Download all images" at the top of the list. Pictures are saved in their largest available size and keep their original format.
Which sites give the real original?
| Site | What you get |
|---|---|
| The uploaded original behind the pin, often 2000 pixels and up | |
| The largest size Instagram stores, 1080 pixels wide | |
| X (Twitter) | The "orig" version, not the compressed timeline copy |
| Imgur | The original upload in its original format |
| Tumblr | The largest size kept, usually 1280 or 2048 pixels |
| Behance | The project original, extension only |
| Gallery images in full size, including i.redd.it originals |
Some sites only ever store a reduced copy. Instagram is the common case: 1080 pixels is the biggest file that exists, so no tool can give you more.
Good to know
- A picture that was already saved disappears from the extension's list until you reload the page, so you never download the same file twice.
- Background pictures set with CSS are included when they are large enough to matter.
- Animated pictures are usually stored as short videos. You get an MP4, which plays everywhere and is much smaller than a GIF.
- File names come from the post title or the image name. You can change the pattern in the extension's Settings.
- Please save only pictures you have the right to use. Photographers and designers earn a living from their work.