📱 Social Media Image Size Guide 2024
Complete, up-to-date image dimensions for Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok. Optimize posts, stories, covers, headers for maximum quality.
📐 Quick Reference by Platform
Feed Posts
Stories & Reels
Profile
⚠️ Max width 1080px. Larger images are compressed heavily.
Posts
Profile
Stories & Video
💡 Design cover with 640px center safe zone for mobile
🐦 Twitter / X
Posts
Profile
📐 Aspect ratio 2:1 to 3:1 supported for photos
Posts
Profile
Articles
💡 Keep text in center 1350px width for mobile compatibility
📺 YouTube
Video
Channel
Community
⚠️ Banner safe area varies by device—test on all!
🎵 TikTok
Video
Profile
📱 Vertical 9:16 is optimal for TikTok's mobile-first format
💡 Universal Best Practices
- File Format: JPEG for photos (85-90% quality), PNG for graphics with text
- File Size: Keep under 1 MB for fast loading (optimize with TinyPNG, ImageOptim)
- Color Space: sRGB only (Adobe RGB displays incorrectly on web/social)
- Safe Zones: Keep important text/logos in center 80% to avoid edge cropping
- Test First: Upload to platform as private/draft to check cropping before publishing
💡 Expert Tips from a Social Media Manager
Instagram's 1080px width limit is absolute—uploading 4000px images creates worse quality due to double compression. Instagram automatically resizes anything over 1080px width with aggressive compression algorithm (quality ~70%). If you upload 4000×4000 at 100% quality, Instagram downscales to 1080×1080 with 70% compression = visible artifacts. If you upload pre-resized 1080×1080 at 90% quality, Instagram applies minimal/no additional compression = sharper result. I managed brand Instagram, designer insisted on uploading "highest quality" 5000px images—every post looked soft/pixelated compared to competitor accounts. Switched workflow: export exactly 1080px width at 90% JPEG quality in Photoshop—dramatic sharpness improvement. Same pixels, controlled compression beats platform auto-compression every time.
Design Facebook covers with 640px center "safe zone"—mobile crops aggressively to portrait orientation. Desktop displays 820×312 full width, but mobile crops to ~640×360 center portion (sides cut off). Text or logos placed in outer 180px on each side disappear on mobile (60% of Facebook users). I designed client cover with contact info in right corner—looked great on desktop, completely cropped on mobile app. Redesigned with 640px center safe zone (all critical elements within center), decorative elements in sides—works on all devices. Use template: 820×312 canvas, draw 640px center rectangle, keep text/logos inside, use outer areas for background/atmosphere only.
PNG files get converted to JPEG on Instagram/Facebook anyway—upload optimized JPEG to control quality. PNG maintains lossless quality but creates 5-10× larger files. Instagram/Facebook don't support PNG transparency, convert all uploads to JPEG for mobile bandwidth savings. I uploaded infographics as PNG (8 MB each) thinking "preserve text sharpness"—platform converted to JPEG with compression, result looked worse than exporting JPEG myself. Now workflow: design in PNG, export as JPEG 90% quality (file 800 KB), upload that—total control over compression, smaller file, better final quality. PNG only useful if you need transparency for overlays (but platforms flatten to white/black background anyway). For social media: JPEG always.
YouTube banner "safe area" (1546×423 center) is only portion visible on ALL devices—rest crops unpredictably. Full banner 2560×1440 displays only on smart TVs. Desktop crops to ~2560×423 (top/bottom cut), mobile crops to ~1546×423 (all sides cut), tablet somewhere between. Channels make mistake of spreading text/branding across full 2560 width—mobile users see center 1546px only (critical info lost). I managed channel with 100K subs, redesigned banner: all text/logos in 1546×423 center safe zone, decorative graphics in outer areas—consistent branding across all devices. Test using YouTube's preview tool or view on actual mobile/TV before publishing.
Each platform has maximum file size limits—compress images before upload to avoid quality loss. Instagram: 8 MB max (but compresses heavily over 1 MB). Facebook: 100 MB (ridiculous overkill). LinkedIn: 10 MB. Twitter: 5 MB. Exceeding limits = platform auto-compresses aggressively. I uploaded 12 MB product photo to Instagram—error message "file too large," tried again at 7.8 MB (barely under limit)—Instagram applied maximum compression, looked terrible. Optimized to 950 KB using TinyPNG—uploaded smoothly, maintained quality. Platform compression is black box (can't control), web pre-compression tools (TinyPNG, ImageOptim, Squoosh) give predictable quality. Target 500-800 KB for best balance.
⚠️ Common Social Media Image Mistakes
❌ Using same 1:1 square image for all platforms
The Problem: Each platform has different optimal aspect ratios—square looks great on Instagram, terrible on Twitter/LinkedIn.
Real Example: Marketing manager created 1080×1080 promo graphic (square, optimized for Instagram). Posted to all platforms: Instagram ✓ perfect, Facebook ✓ okay, Twitter ✗ displays tiny (prefers 16:9), LinkedIn ✗ wasted space (prefers 1.91:1). Text in graphic looked pixelated on Twitter because platform shrunk it to fit 16:9 card. Engagement on Twitter/LinkedIn 40% below Instagram despite same content. Re-created in multiple sizes: 1080×1080 (Instagram), 1200×675 (Twitter/Facebook), 1200×627 (LinkedIn)—engagement equalized. Cropping one master doesn't work well—text gets illegible. Design each platform's native ratio or use Canva templates.
The Fix: Design in largest usable size (e.g. 1920×1080), then export cropped versions for each platform's preferred ratio. Or create platform-specific versions from start.
❌ Designing at print resolution (300 DPI) for social media
The Problem: Social media displays at screen resolution (72-96 PPI)—300 DPI creates unnecessarily large files that platforms compress heavily.
Real Example: Graphic designer exported Instagram post at 1080×1080 px, 300 DPI (thinking higher DPI = better quality). File size: 4.2 MB. Instagram upload limit: 8 MB, but algorithmically compresses anything over ~1 MB. Result: heavy compression, visible JPEG artifacts. Colleague exported same 1080×1080 at 72 DPI: 680 KB. Identical pixel dimensions (1080×1080), Instagram displayed both identically (platforms ignore DPI metadata, only care about pixel dimensions). 72 DPI version looked sharper because less compression applied. DPI only matters for print—social media is pixels-only. 1080×1080 at 72 DPI and 300 DPI are SAME QUALITY on screen if JPEG quality setting is equal.
The Fix: Export social media images at 72 DPI. Focus on pixel dimensions (1080×1080, 1200×675, etc.), not DPI. Use 85-90% JPEG quality to keep file under 1 MB.
❌ Not testing how images display on mobile before publishing
The Problem: Most social media traffic is mobile (70-80%)—desktop-optimized images look terrible on phones.
Real Example: Company designed LinkedIn company cover 1584×396 on desktop monitor (looked perfect—logo left, tagline center, CTA right). Published. Next day: complaints from CEO that logo was cut off on his phone. Mobile LinkedIn crops cover to ~1350 width (sides lost 117px each side). Logo was 100px from left edge = completely cropped on mobile. 75% of LinkedIn users on mobile saw broken cover for 2 weeks before fix. Redesigned: moved all elements to center 1350px safe zone, used outer 234px for background gradient only—works on all devices. Always test on actual mobile device (or use platform's preview tool) before publishing.
The Fix: Design with mobile-first mentality. Keep critical elements in center safe zones. Test on real mobile devices (iPhone, Android) before publishing.
❌ Uploading photos in Adobe RGB instead of sRGB color space
The Problem: Social platforms expect sRGB—Adobe RGB/ProPhoto RGB display with washed-out colors.
Real Example: Photographer shot in RAW (Adobe RGB color space for maximum gamut), edited in Lightroom, exported JPEG "for Instagram" directly. Colors looked vibrant in Lightroom. Uploaded to Instagram: colors desaturated, looked washed out (oranges became tan, blues became gray). Checked file: Adobe RGB color profile embedded. Instagram/browsers assume sRGB if no profile, or interpret Adobe RGB incorrectly. Re-exported same edit but converted to sRGB in export settings—colors perfect. Lost 1 week of campaign due to washed-out lifestyle product photos. Adobe RGB has wider gamut than sRGB, but web/mobile displays are sRGB—extra colors are clipped/desaturated. Always convert to sRGB for web/social.
The Fix: In Photoshop/Lightroom export: convert color space to sRGB. In camera: shoot sRGB for web work (or convert during export). Never upload Adobe RGB to social media.
❌ Creating text-heavy graphics with font sizes below 30-40px
The Problem: Platform compression + mobile viewing = small text becomes unreadable blur.
Real Example: Intern created Instagram post 1080×1080 with product announcement: fancy script font at 18px, paragraph of body text at 14px. Looked readable on 27-inch design monitor. Posted. Comments: "can't read anything," "too small," "what does this say?" Mobile Instagram feed displays posts at ~400-500px width (depending on screen). 1080px image downscaled to 400px, text downscaled proportionally. 18px becomes ~7px (illegible). Plus JPEG compression blurs edges. Minimum readable font size post-compression on mobile: 30-40px minimum for body text, 60-80px for headlines. Redesigned with larger text (40px body, 80px headline), simpler font—engagement increased 3×. Rule: if you can't read text at arm's length on phone, it's too small.
The Fix: Use minimum 30-40px font size for body text, 60-100px for headlines. Test readability: shrink image to 400px width, view on phone from typical distance. Simplify text to key message only.
📖 How to Use This Guide
- Select platform: Choose the social network you're creating content for
- Choose content type: Feed post, story, cover image, profile picture, etc.
- Use exact dimensions: Create canvas at specified pixel dimensions
- Mind safe zones: Keep important elements in center 80% for mobile compatibility
- Export optimized: JPEG 85-90% quality, sRGB color space, under 1 MB file size
- Test before publishing: Upload as private/draft, check on mobile device
Pro Workflow: Design at 2× dimensions (e.g. 2160×2160 for Instagram), export at 1× (1080×1080) for crisp quality on Retina displays.
"The biggest mistake I see brands make is treating social media image specs as suggestions rather than strict requirements. Instagram's 1080px width isn't a target—it's a hard limit. Upload 2000px, platform downscales with compression, you lose quality. Upload 1080px pre-optimized at 90% JPEG, much sharper result. I manage accounts with millions of followers across platforms, and 90% of brands I audit are doing it wrong: uploading massive 5000px images (thinking bigger = better), using print resolution 300 DPI (meaningless for web), ignoring aspect ratio requirements (causing auto-crop disasters), designing on desktop without testing mobile (where 75% of views happen). Result: soft images, cropped compositions, text illegibility on phones. Correct workflow: design at exact platform pixel dimensions (1080×1080 Instagram, 1200×627 LinkedIn), export JPEG 85-90% quality, convert to sRGB, check file size under 1 MB, test on mobile before publish. Second massive mistake: using same 1:1 square asset for all platforms when each has different optimal ratio. Square works on Instagram, wastes space on LinkedIn (1.91:1), looks wrong on Twitter (16:9). Create platform-specific crops or native designs. These specs aren't arbitrary—they're engineered for each platform's layout and compression algorithms."