Social Media Image Sizes: A Simple Guide
You choose a great picture, upload it, and the platform crops off the most important part. Or it looks blurry because it was stretched. The fix is to prepare each image at the size the platform expects. This guide lists the sizes most people use and shows how to get your picture to fit.
Common sizes
- Instagram post: 1080 x 1080 pixels (square).
- Instagram Story: 1080 x 1920 pixels (tall).
- YouTube thumbnail: 1280 x 720 pixels.
- Facebook cover: 820 x 312 pixels.
- Twitter/X banner: 1500 x 500 pixels.
- LinkedIn banner: 1584 x 396 pixels.
- Pinterest pin: 1000 x 1500 pixels (tall).
Platforms change their recommendations from time to time and may display covers differently on phones and desktops. Treat these numbers as a reliable starting point and check the platform help pages when the exact fit is important.
Why the shape matters as much as the size
A square, a tall picture and a very wide banner have different proportions. If your photo has a different shape from the target, something has to give. The platform will crop it, shrink it with empty bars, or stretch it. None of these is what you want. Preparing the image yourself lets you decide what stays in the frame.
How to resize without stretching
- Open the Social Media Image Resizer.
- Upload your picture (up to 20 MB).
- Choose the platform and the size.
- Press Generate and download the result.
The tool scales the picture until it fills the target size and then trims the extra edges evenly from the center, so it is never stretched or squashed. This means a little of the outer edge can be cut, so keep your main subject near the middle.
Tips for banners and covers
- Start wide. Wide banners crop a lot from a normal photo. Begin with a landscape image.
- Keep text away from the edges. Platforms overlay profile pictures and buttons on covers, and phones show less than desktops.
- Use the largest original you have. Enlarging a small picture makes it look soft.
- Check on a phone. Most people will see your image there first.
Keep file sizes sensible
Large files upload slowly and are often recompressed by the platform, which can reduce the quality. If a picture is heavy, run it through the Image Compressor before you post. If you need a custom size that is not on the list, the Image Resizer lets you set your own dimensions.
Format reminders
JPG is best for photos, while PNG keeps logos and text sharp. If you are unsure which to pick, read our comparison of JPG, PNG and WebP.
A few minutes of preparation gives you pictures that look intentional on every platform, with nothing important cut off.