Upload a carefully composed photo and the platform chops off the top of someone's head. Post a graphic and the text comes out blurry. Most of these problems come from the same root cause: the image wasn't prepared at the aspect ratio and size the platform expects.
This cheat sheet lists widely recommended dimensions for the major platforms and, more importantly, a simple workflow that produces a clean result every time.
Platforms adjust their layouts from time to time. The sizes below are long-standing, widely used recommendations, but it is always worth checking the platform's own help pages before a big campaign.
Aspect ratio vs resolution
Two different things decide how your image looks:
- Aspect ratio is the shape — the relationship between width and height, such as 1:1 (square), 4:5 (portrait), 16:9 (widescreen) or 9:16 (vertical). If your image has the wrong shape, the platform will crop it, often in a place you don't want.
- Resolution is the number of pixels, such as 1080 × 1080. Too few pixels and the platform stretches the image, making it soft. Too many and you upload a needlessly large file that the platform recompresses anyway.
Get the ratio right first, then the resolution.
The cheat sheet
| Post type | Aspect ratio | Recommended size |
|---|---|---|
| Square feed post | 1:1 | 1080 × 1080 px |
| Portrait feed post | 4:5 | 1080 × 1350 px |
| Story / Reel | 9:16 | 1080 × 1920 px |
| Profile photo | 1:1 (shown as a circle) | at least 320 × 320 px |
Portrait 4:5 posts take up the most screen space in the feed, which is why many creators prefer them.
| Post type | Aspect ratio | Recommended size |
|---|---|---|
| Link preview / shared post image | 1.91:1 | 1200 × 630 px |
| Square feed image | 1:1 | 1080 × 1080 px |
| Story | 9:16 | 1080 × 1920 px |
X (Twitter)
| Post type | Aspect ratio | Recommended size |
|---|---|---|
| Single landscape image | 16:9 | 1200 × 675 px |
| Square image | 1:1 | 1080 × 1080 px |
| Link card image | about 1.91:1 | 1200 × 628 px |
| Post type | Aspect ratio | Recommended size |
|---|---|---|
| Shared link / landscape image | 1.91:1 | 1200 × 627 px |
| Square image post | 1:1 | 1080 × 1080 px |
YouTube
| Asset | Aspect ratio | Recommended size |
|---|---|---|
| Video thumbnail | 16:9 | 1280 × 720 px |
| Shorts | 9:16 | 1080 × 1920 px |
Your own website and link previews
When someone shares a link to your site, platforms show a preview image defined by your page's Open Graph tags. 1200 × 630 px (1.91:1) is the de facto standard that displays well almost everywhere.
The crop-then-resize workflow
Resizing an image to a different shape either squashes it or adds empty bars. The reliable approach is to crop to the correct ratio first, then resize to the exact pixel size.
1. Crop to the right aspect ratio
Open Crop Image and pick the ratio you need — 1:1, 16:9, 9:16 and several others are built in, and Freeform lets you set any shape, such as 4:5. Position the crop box so the important part of the photo (faces, products, text) sits comfortably inside it, away from the edges.
2. Resize to the target dimensions
Next, open Resize Image. It includes presets for Instagram square and story sizes, a Facebook post, an X post and a YouTube thumbnail, or you can type exact dimensions. Because the image already has the right shape, it will scale cleanly with nothing stretched.
3. Compress before uploading
Platforms recompress everything you upload. Starting from a clean, reasonably sized file — rather than a huge original — usually gives better results after their compression. A quick pass through Compress Image at around 80–85% quality is ideal.
4. Optional: brand it
If you regularly share original photos or designs, a subtle logo or handle in a corner helps people find you when your image is reshared. Add Image Watermark lets you place text or a logo with adjustable opacity and position.
Design tips that survive any platform
- Keep important content in the centre. Profile pictures are cropped to circles, and previews are often trimmed differently on mobile and desktop. A safe margin of about 10% around the edges protects faces and text.
- Use large, bold text. Most social media is viewed on phones. If you have to squint at your graphic on a laptop, it will be unreadable on a phone.
- Avoid tiny details in thumbnails. YouTube thumbnails are often seen at a fraction of their full size. Simple compositions and strong contrast work best.
- Export text-heavy graphics as PNG, photos as JPG. Text in JPGs can get fuzzy, especially after the platform's own compression.
- Watch the colour profile. Images in unusual colour spaces can look washed out after upload. Exporting in standard sRGB avoids surprises.
Why do my uploads still look blurry?
A few common causes:
- The image was too small. Upscaling a 600-pixel image to 1080 pixels can't add detail that isn't there.
- Wrong aspect ratio. The platform cropped and then re-scaled the image.
- The app's data saver. Some apps upload or display lower-quality versions on mobile data. Check your app's upload quality settings.
- Heavy pre-compression. If you already compressed the image hard, the platform's compression on top makes artefacts worse. Upload a moderately compressed file instead.
Summary
Decide the platform and post type, crop to the right aspect ratio, resize to the recommended dimensions, compress lightly and upload. Keep this cheat sheet handy and you'll never again watch a platform crop the most important part of your picture.