Social image size guide
Choose a social image size without designing the message twice
A useful social graphic starts with aspect ratio, not a memorised list of numbers. Platforms can resize, crop or recompress uploads, so the safest workflow is to choose a common ratio, keep essential words away from the edges and preview the post in its destination.
Quick reference
| Use | Starting size | Ratio | Why choose it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square post | 1080 × 1080 | 1:1 | Portable across feeds and easy to reuse. |
| Portrait feed post | 1080 × 1350 | 4:5 | Uses more vertical feed space while remaining widely supported. |
| Story or full-screen status | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16 | Fits vertical phone screens; interface safe areas still matter. |
| LinkedIn or web link preview | 1200 × 627 | 1.91:1 | Matches LinkedIn’s documented link-preview guidance. |
| LinkedIn square image | 1200 × 1200 | 1:1 | A flexible choice for an image-only professional post. |
Treat these as reliable starting canvases, not permanent platform laws
Instagram documents supported photo widths and aspect-ratio ranges, while LinkedIn publishes separate guidance for link previews, organic photos and ads. Those rules can change and different surfaces on the same platform may crop differently. Check the platform help page when a campaign depends on an exact placement.
For ordinary text graphics, square, 4:5 portrait, 9:16 vertical and 1.91:1 landscape cover the most useful families. Design around the ratio first; the pixel dimensions then provide enough resolution for a clean export.
Keep a safe composition inside every format
- Protect the messageKeep the headline, logo and call to action away from the outer edges. Story controls and profile overlays can cover the top and bottom.
- Preview at phone sizeA line that looks comfortable on a desktop canvas may be too small after the image appears in a feed.
- Use fewer words in vertical formatsA tall canvas offers space, but long paragraphs still become difficult to scan on a phone.
- Export one master per ratioReflow the typography for square, portrait and story versions instead of stretching one finished file.
Example: one announcement in three placements
For an event launch, create a 4:5 feed version with the title, date and short action; a 9:16 story version with larger type and generous top/bottom clearance; and a 1.91:1 link preview with only the title and brand. The wording stays consistent, but its hierarchy changes to suit each crop.
Primary references
Platform specifications change. These first-party references were checked when this guide was updated.