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What Size Should Social Media Images Be?
Start with 1080 × 1350 px for portrait feed graphics, 1080 × 1920 px for full-screen vertical content, and 1000 × 1500 px for standard Pinterest Pins. Profile pictures, banners, and video thumbnails need separate exports. All dimensions below are written as width × height.
Social Media Image Sizes: Quick-Reference Table
Use these dimensions as design starting points. They are not universal upload limits: cropping and display sizes vary by device, placement, and publishing tool.
| Platform | Profile Picture | Feed Image or Thumbnail | Cover or Banner | Vertical Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 320 × 320 px | 1080 × 1350 px (4:5) 1080 × 1440 px (3:4), subject to publishing-tool support |
Not applicable | 1080 × 1920 px for Stories and Reels | |
| 400 × 400 px | 1080 × 1350 px portrait 1080 × 1080 px square |
851 × 315 px starting canvas; check the crop | 1080 × 1920 px for Stories and vertical Reels | |
| 400 × 400 px | 1080 × 1350 px portrait 1200 × 1200 px square |
Personal: 1584 × 396 px Company Page: 1512 × 256 px |
Check the selected video placement | |
| X | 400 × 400 px | 1600 × 900 px landscape 1080 × 1080 px square |
1500 × 500 px | Check the composer preview |
| TikTok | 400 × 400 px starting canvas | 1080 × 1920 px for vertical photo slides | Not applicable | 1080 × 1920 px for vertical video |
| YouTube | 800 × 800 px starting canvas | 3840 × 2160 px for standard video thumbnails | 2560 × 1440 px | 1080 × 1920 px for Full HD Shorts 2160 × 3840 px for custom Shorts thumbnails |
| 400 × 400 px starting canvas | 1000 × 1500 px for standard image Pins | Check the options available to your account | Check the selected video or ad format |
- Choose dimensions for the placement: a feed post, Story, profile photo, and banner need different layouts.
- Use 1080 × 1350 px as a reusable portrait feed template and 1080 × 1920 px as a vertical starting canvas.
- Check thumbnails and profile-grid previews separately from the full image.
- Keep text and logos clear of interface overlays; there is no universal safe zone.
- Correct dimensions preserve composition and readability but do not guarantee more engagement.
What Image Sizes Should You Use on Instagram?
1080 × 1350 px (4:5) is a practical starting size for portrait feed graphics. A taller 1080 × 1440 px (3:4) layout is another option, but confirm that your publishing tool supports it. Use 1080 × 1920 px (9:16) for Stories and full-screen Reels.
Preview how your file crops with the Instagram image size checker or the Story size checker.
- Square feed image: 1080 × 1080 px.
- Landscape feed image: approximately 1080 × 566 px.
- Profile picture: start with 320 × 320 px and center the subject for the circular crop.
How Do You Avoid Instagram Carousel and Grid Cropping?
Export carousel slides at consistent dimensions, then check the first slide in both the feed and profile-grid previews. Those views can show different crops. Keep headlines, faces, and logos away from the edges, and adjust the thumbnail where that option is available. For layout ideas, see our carousel design best practices.
What Image Sizes Should You Use on Facebook?
Use 1080 × 1350 px for portrait feed graphics or 1080 × 1080 px for square posts. Start with 1080 × 1920 px for Stories and vertical Reels. A 1200 × 630 px image is a practical starting point for a shared webpage’s preview image.
For a cover photo, begin with 851 × 315 px and inspect the desktop and mobile previews. Keep essential content near the center and clear of the profile-photo overlap. A 400 × 400 px square is a useful starting canvas for the profile picture.
What Image Sizes Should You Use on LinkedIn?
Use 1584 × 396 px for a personal-profile background and 1512 × 256 px for a Company Page cover. These require separate layouts. Start with 400 × 400 px for a personal profile photo or Company Page logo.
Check where your profile photo overlaps a background with the LinkedIn banner size checker.
- Portrait feed graphic: 1080 × 1350 px.
- Square feed graphic: 1200 × 1200 px.
- Custom image for a Page post linking to a URL: 1200 × 627 px.
LinkedIn’s current Page image specifications list the Company Page cover dimensions and a 3 MB limit for Page graphics. Personal-profile covers have separate requirements.
What Size Should a LinkedIn PDF Carousel Be?
Use a consistent page size throughout the PDF. Square pages or a 4:5 portrait layout are practical choices; document posts do not have one mandatory pixel size. Check that the smallest text remains readable on a phone.
What Image Sizes Should You Use on X?
X recommends 400 × 400 px for profile pictures and 1500 × 500 px for headers. For feed images, start with 1600 × 900 px for landscape or 1080 × 1080 px for square.
Leave space around header text and account for the profile-photo overlap. X’s profile-image guidance notes that headers can be cropped differently across browsers and screens.
Preview multi-image posts separately: the combined layout can crop each image differently from a single-image post.
What Image Sizes Should You Use on TikTok?
1080 × 1920 px (9:16) is a practical canvas for vertical videos and photo slides. Keep each slide at the same dimensions so the layout stays consistent as viewers swipe.
Leave room for the controls on the right and captions near the bottom. Check the preview with the actual caption rather than judging the artwork in isolation.
TikTok’s in-feed ad specifications explain how safe zones vary with dimensions, captions, and additional elements. Treat those as ad requirements rather than universal rules for organic posts.
What Image Sizes Should You Use on YouTube?
YouTube currently recommends 3840 × 2160 px (16:9) for standard video thumbnails and 2160 × 3840 px (9:16) for custom Shorts thumbnails. A Full HD Short exported at 1080 × 1920 px is a separate video asset.
According to YouTube’s thumbnail guidance, desktop thumbnail uploads allow files up to 50 MB. Mobile video thumbnails must remain under 2 MB. To fix a thumbnail with the wrong dimensions, use the thumbnail resizer.
What Size Should a YouTube Banner Be?
Use 2560 × 1440 px and keep the banner file at 6 MB or less. YouTube’s minimum upload size is 2048 × 1152 px, with a central text-and-logo safe area of 1235 × 338 px at that minimum size. Test it against the device crops with the YouTube banner size checker.
Position the channel name and logo using YouTube Studio’s device previews. Mobile, desktop, and TV views expose different portions of the banner. The full requirements appear in YouTube’s channel-branding guidance.
What Image Size Should You Use for Pinterest Pins?
Use 1000 × 1500 px (2:3) for a standard image Pin. Pinterest recommends this proportion and warns that taller proportions may be cut off in feeds.
Aspect ratio matters more than an absolute height limit. A 2000 × 3000 px image is still 2:3; it is not too tall simply because its height exceeds 1500 px. See Pinterest’s creative specifications for format-specific requirements.
Keep the headline readable in the feed preview and make the main subject easy to identify without opening the Pin.
What Are Common Social Media Aspect Ratios in Pixels?
Most size questions are ratio questions. These are the pixel sizes used in this guide for each common ratio, written as width × height.
| Aspect ratio | Size in pixels | Where it's used |
|---|---|---|
| 1:1 (square) | 1080 × 1080 px (1200 × 1200 px on LinkedIn) | Square feed posts on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and X |
| 4:5 (portrait) | 1080 × 1350 px | Portrait feed graphics on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn |
| 3:4 (tall portrait) | 1080 × 1440 px | Taller Instagram portrait posts, where your publishing tool supports them |
| 9:16 (vertical) | 1080 × 1920 px | Stories, Reels, TikTok and Shorts (2160 × 3840 px for custom Shorts thumbnails) |
| 16:9 (widescreen) | 1600 × 900 px, 2560 × 1440 px, 3840 × 2160 px | Landscape X images, YouTube banners and YouTube video thumbnails |
| 1.91:1 (link preview) | 1200 × 627 px or 1200 × 630 px (about 1080 × 566 px on Instagram) | Link previews and landscape feed images |
| 2:3 (Pin) | 1000 × 1500 px | Standard Pinterest image Pins |
| 3:1 (header) | 1500 × 500 px | X (Twitter) header |
| About 2.7:1 | 851 × 315 px | Facebook cover photo |
| 4:1 (banner) | 1584 × 396 px | LinkedIn personal-profile background |
Want to test a slide before you post? Pick a platform below and drop in an image to check it against these limits.
Social Media Size Checker
Pick a platform, then drop one file or a whole set of slides to check them against the published limits.
Your preview appears here.
How Do You Resize Social Media Images Without Stretching Them?
- Choose the destination placement. Confirm whether you are creating a feed post, Story, banner, or profile image.
- Create the new canvas. Set its width and height before moving the artwork.
- Scale proportionally. Keep the image’s proportions locked.
- Rearrange the composition. Move text and subjects, extend the background, or add intentional padding.
- Inspect the upload preview. Check cropping, overlays, and readability on a phone.
Should You Export Social Media Images as JPG or PNG?
Start with JPG for photographs and PNG for graphics with text, logos, or flat-color shapes, where supported. Compare both when fine details matter: platforms can recompress or convert either format.
Export in sRGB, work from the original design file, and check the placement’s file-size limit. Avoid repeatedly downloading and re-exporting already compressed images.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is There One Image Size That Works on Every Social Platform?
No. A 1080 × 1350 px portrait graphic is reusable across several feeds, but Stories, Pinterest Pins, banners, and video thumbnails need different layouts. Keep separate templates for the placements you use regularly.
Is 1080 × 1080 px Still a Useful Social Media Image Size?
Yes. Square graphics remain useful for many feed posts and reusable designs. Check both the full-post view and the thumbnail before publishing.
Should Instagram Portrait Posts Be 1080 × 1350 or 1080 × 1440 px?
Use 1080 × 1350 px for a 4:5 layout or 1080 × 1440 px for a taller 3:4 layout. Confirm that your publishing tool supports your chosen ratio and inspect the profile-grid preview separately.
Do All Vertical Platforms Have the Same Safe Zone?
No. Controls, captions, and ad elements cover different areas across platforms. Use placement-specific guides where available and check the final preview with the actual caption.
Why Does My Image Look Blurry After Uploading?
Possible causes include a small source image, heavy compression, repeated re-exports, or details that are too fine at display size. Export from the original file at the intended dimensions and inspect the uploaded result on a phone.
Can I Use the Same Image for an Organic Post and a Paid Ad?
Sometimes, but check the ad placement first. Supported ratios, file limits, safe zones, and interface overlays can differ from the organic post.
Do Correct Image Dimensions Guarantee Better Engagement?
No. Correct dimensions help preserve composition and readability. Engagement also depends on the subject, creative quality, audience, and distribution.
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Written by
Taher BatterywalaFounder & Chief Curator
Taher Batterywala is a creative marketer who loves to write & design content that organically drives conversions. He is the creator of Pineable, the world's first content marketing design inspiration hub. He regularly shares his thoughts about content design, SEO, and marketing. As a true cinephile, he admires movies above anything else.
