Social Media Image Sizes: A Practical Cheat Sheet
By the NextG Design team · Published 17 October 2026 · 3 min read
Quick answer: The safest sizes for most social posts are 1080×1350 pixels (4:5 portrait) or 1080×1080 (square) for Instagram and Facebook feeds, 1080×1920 (9:16) for Stories, Reels and Shorts, 1280×720 (16:9) for YouTube thumbnails, 1600×900 (16:9) for X, and 1200×627 for LinkedIn and link previews. Aspect ratio matters more than exact pixels — upload the right shape and the platform scales it.
Why size and shape matter
Every platform displays images in fixed shapes. Upload the wrong shape and the platform crops it for you — often cutting off heads, text or products. Upload far more pixels than needed and the platform re-compresses it heavily, which can look worse than a correctly sized original. Preparing images at the right aspect ratio and a sensible size gives you control over the result.
Image size cheat sheet
| Platform & placement | Recommended pixels | Aspect ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram feed — portrait | 1080×1350 | 4:5 |
| Instagram feed — square | 1080×1080 | 1:1 |
| Instagram Stories / Reels | 1080×1920 | 9:16 |
| Facebook feed image | 1080×1350 or 1080×1080 | 4:5 or 1:1 |
| Facebook / LinkedIn link preview (Open Graph) | 1200×630 | 1.91:1 |
| X (Twitter) in-feed image | 1600×900 | 16:9 |
| LinkedIn shared image | 1200×627 or 1080×1080 | 1.91:1 or 1:1 |
| YouTube thumbnail | 1280×720 (under 2 MB) | 16:9 |
| YouTube Shorts / TikTok | 1080×1920 | 9:16 |
| Pinterest pin | 1000×1500 | 2:3 |
These are widely used recommendations rather than official minimums, and platforms adjust their layouts from time to time — Instagram, for example, now shows profile grids in a taller 3:4 shape. If something looks cropped unexpectedly, check the platform's own help centre.
Safe zones: where not to put text
On full-screen vertical formats, the app overlays its own interface — the profile name and progress bar at the top, captions, buttons and reply box at the bottom and right edge. As a rule of thumb on a 1080×1920 image:
- Keep important text and faces out of the top ~250 pixels and bottom ~350 pixels.
- Leave a margin of ~100 pixels on the right side, where like and share buttons sit.
- For feed posts that may be cropped to square in some views, keep the key subject in the centre.
How to resize and crop an image for social media
- Crop to the aspect ratio. Open the Image Cropper, choose 1:1, 4:5-style portrait (3:4 is close), 16:9 or 9:16, and drag the box to frame the subject.
- Resize to the target width. Open the Image Resizer, keep the aspect ratio locked, and set the width (for example 1080).
- Compress. Run it through the Image Compressor at around 85% quality. Platforms re-compress anyway, so starting from a clean, reasonably sized file gives the best final quality.
- Strip metadata if the photo was taken somewhere private, using the Metadata Remover.
Tips for sharper social images
- Don't upload huge originals. A 6,000-pixel photo gets heavily downscaled and re-compressed; a 1080- or 2048-pixel version often looks crisper after upload.
- Use PNG for graphics with text. Quote cards and infographics stay sharper as PNG than as JPG.
- Avoid upscaling small images by more than 2×. If you must, use the Image Upscaler rather than letting the platform stretch it.
- Use a cutout for clean thumbnails. YouTube thumbnails often use a subject cut out with the Background Remover placed over a bold background.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best image size for Instagram?
For feed posts, 1080×1350 pixels (4:5 portrait) takes up the most screen space; 1080×1080 square also works well. For Stories and Reels, use 1080×1920 (9:16).
What size is a YouTube thumbnail?
1280×720 pixels (16:9), with a minimum width of 640 pixels and a file size under 2 MB. Save it as JPG or PNG.
Why does my image look blurry after uploading?
Platforms resize and re-compress uploads. Very large or very small source images suffer most. Upload at the recommended size, at a good quality, with the correct aspect ratio to minimise the platform's processing.
What size should an Open Graph (link preview) image be?
1200×630 pixels (about 1.91:1) is the widely used size for link previews on Facebook, LinkedIn and many messaging apps.
Try it free: the Image Resizer runs entirely in your browser — no upload, no account, no watermark.