The Mantra of Social Media Image Sizes [Updated for 2019]

Oops, something went wrong. How many times have you had this thought while posting images to social media? Different social channels are ruthless when it comes to cropping our beautiful images, automatically. With determined aspect ratios and social media image sizes, there’s no other way than sticking to predefined image patterns.

But, with so many social media platforms, how do you remember the various image size optimization guidelines? We’ve got you covered. In this article, we round up the latest recommended image sizes for five different social networks – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest to make sure your images are always in tip-top shape.

• Why do social media image sizes matter in 2019?
• Facebook Image Sizes
• Twitter Image Sizes
• Instagram Image Sizes
• LinkedIn Image Sizes
• Pinterest Image Sizes
• Do you need help with designing visuals?

Why do social media image sizes matter in 2019?

Visual content has always been a success factor in social media. Visuals, in general, increase the desire to read content by 80%, while original graphics are known to drive the most engagement. Poll Everywhere reports that 65% of users are visual learners, and let’s be honest here – all of us prefer visual content over written content, simply because our brain can process images faster. It’s images that make us memorize so many things and it’s images that work for a brand’s reputation.

How images are presented is as much important as the actual idea behind content. Choosing the right dimension for your next graphics contributes to customer experience and shows how customer-centric your brand actually is. Different social media channels always change image sizes to fit in the design and look more appealing in the eyes of the users. In some way, today’s social media is all about numbers.

Facebook Image Sizes

If Facebook was a country it would be second only to China. This social network has exceeded 2 billion monthly active users and keeps growing by 8% year over year. As the most popular social channel in the world, Facebook has many visual forms to display content.

An important thing to keep in mind when uploading photos is that the post will appear differently on your timeline and in the user’s feed. Before posting an image, it’s good to make sure that Facebook image sizes meet your expectations of what the viewers will eventually see.

• Profile Picture: 180 x 180. As in almost every social media, profile picture, or an avatar, is of rectangular shape, located in the top left corner of the page and displayed in the form of a circle. Since it is the calling card of both personal and business profile, you should pay special attention to the dimension. On Desktop, the image will display as a 170 x 170 picture. The dimensions set for personal profile picture can be the same for your business page.
• Cover Photo: 820 x 312. The cover photo will appear behind your personal profile picture or left to a logo on a business page. Giving you more space in width, it should tell people more about what’s important for you as a person or as a company. Don’t forget that your cover photo should look harmonious with your logo.
• Shared Image: 1,200 x 630. As in any social network, you can share images on Facebook. The ideal Facebook post image size follows a 2:1 aspect ratio.
• Shared Link: 1,200 x 628. The links you share from external resources will likely pull up the image, similar in dimensions to the shared image mentioned above, though with a slightly different length.
• Highlighted Image: 1,200 x 717. These images are often created to celebrate a milestone or victory that will appear on your timeline and take up more space than any other image on Facebook.
• Event Image: 1920 x 1080. It’s a cover photo to attract visitors to your event that will be scaled down and shown in the feed as a 470 x 174 image.
• Ads Image: 1200 x 628. The ideal dimension for a Facebook ad is exactly the same as the one for a shared link.

Twitter Image Sizes

Twitter is one of the simplest social networks when images are concerned, but people often use it to discuss your brand and products. With this point in mind, you have to make sure that your brand page has the most stunning look. Image sizes for Twitter differ across three types of pictures worth remembering: a profile photo, a header photo, and an in-stream picture. Twitter image sizes have been changed recently, so we recommend that you revise your images for better overall user experience.

• Profile Photo: 400 x 400. Your profile photo on Twitter deserves special attention because it’s the main picture representing you in the eyes of your followers. It appears on your page, in the streaming feed, and in recommendations who to follow. As in other social channels, it’s best to create a square image for your profile photo.
• Header Photo: 1,500 x 500. On Twitter, your header (or cover) photo will capture more attention than on Facebook, for example, as it is larger and occupies the top of your Twitter profile page. Since its span is extremely visible and takes up more space than a profile picture, the best recommendation apart from the image size would be to create a cover with the highest resolution possible.
• In-Stream Photo: Minimum 440 x 220. Images that appear in the feed should follow a 2:1 aspect ratio. You’ll be able to tweet no more than four images at a time.

Instagram Image Sizes

People go to Instagram to get entertained by visual content in the first place. That’s why Instagram is a channel where we pay the most attention to how our images are displayed. Sometimes it may even seem that Instagram is the cruelest social network when the sizes are concerned. Mostly viewed from smartphones, it requires more attention to how content is sized and displayed. Fundamentally, there are four dimensions and Instagram image sizes to remember:

• Profile Picture: 110 x 110. Your profile picture is always slightly visible on Instagram, so it’s best to show your face or logo up close, and in a 1:1 aspect ratio.
• Photo Thumbnails: 161 x 161. People who care about the consistency of their profiles and brand pages on Instagram, have to pay more attention to photo thumbnails that appear when someone goes to your image gallery with rows of thumbnails presented. The best advice would be to keep the most important things you want to display closer to the center of the image.
• Photo Size: 1080 x 1080. What distinguishes Instagram image size from other social media image sizes is that most of the content should be shaped in squares to look the best. If you want to create a post with a few photos, Instagram will square your images automatically.
• Instagram Stories: 1080 x 1920. This is another image size for Instagram and the only one for a vertical display, with an aspect ratio of 9:16.

LinkedIn Image Sizes

LinkedIn is the largest professional network in the world. It’s 277% more effective at generating leads than Facebook and Twitter. In fact, recently LinkedIn has been changing at a lightning speed, adding the possibilities of new content formats. People active in this social channel, though, usually have troubles with LinkedIn image sizes, especially with shared links. Because the network has problems with optimization of link pictures, its response to various image sizes can be very confusing. Overall, there are a few visual formats to consider.

• Personal Profile Image: 400 x 400. As with other social networks, the personal profile image is key to representing you, but this time, as a professional in a particular field. Aside from the right square size, your outlook should be as professional as possible.
• Personal Background Image: 1584 x 396. LinkedIn has the trickiest cover photo in comparison with other social networks, as it’s difficult to find an image of the right size to match it. The best option would be to create a custom design that suits you best as an individual without crossing the line of professionalism.
• Company Logo Image: 300 x 300. This logo image appears on your homepage when you fill in your work experience. It’s a little square with a logo that you see next to the description. Recently, companies have been making logo animations to attract followers to their company pages on LinkedIn.
• Square Logo: 60 x 60. This is the brand image that appears in the search results.
• Company Cover Image: 1536 x 768. This image is slightly different than the personal background image in a way that it covers the entire top of the page. Businesses are granted more space in contrast to the personal account dimensions.
• Banner Image for Company Pages: 646 x 220. Banner images appear when a user visits a brand homepage.
• Hero Image: 1128 x 376. This is another image size for LinkedIn that can be created to attract potential employees.
• Shared Image or Link: 1104 x 736. This is probably the most popular form of content that gets displayed in the feed. Nevertheless, when sharing an image without a link, you have more space.

Pinterest Image Sizes

72% of Pinterest users access the platform to decide what to buy offline. That’s why Pinterest image sizes should be taken seriously, as they speak directly from your brand.

• Profile Picture: 165 x 165. Pinterest gives you the opportunity to sign up, using your Facebook or Twitter account. The image gets automatically uploaded if you decide to do so. However, you can create your account manually and choose another logo with a custom Pinterest image size.
• Pin Sizes. Adding a pin to one of your boards, you should remember that there’s a width limit, while the length is scaled. It means that you can add an image that’s square or taller, but not horizontal-oriented. Larger images would be the best option, as they add more value. The pins on the main page can have 236 pixels in width.
• Board Display: 222 x 150. The main advantage that Pinterest gives users over other social media networks is the ability to create boards. Using the right image size for Pinterest is the first step to maintain a well-looking board that shouldn’t be overlooked.

General Social Media Image Sizes Guidelines

Even though there’s no one-size-fits-all advice, there are a few hacks to follow regarding social media image sizes as a general rule based on the above.

• Make sure that your profile pictures or logos maintain an aspect ratio of 1:1.
• Usually, profile pictures are sized similarly to logos on company pages, but LinkedIn is an exception.
• When posting an image on Instagram, bear in mind that the best option is to take a square picture with a focus on the center.
• Pay special attention to background images on social media, as they give you the opportunity to tell the public more about you as an individual or a company. Customized backgrounds are preferred for different social channels.

Do you need help with designing visuals?

To master the science of optimal social media image sizes, you need to remember so many formulas. The thing is, all of them are counted in the DNA of our product. Aside from Smart Posting, PromoRepublic has a graphic design feature you can use to make the best designs with image sizes predefined for each social network separately, so you don’t need to learn all the dimensions by heart. If you lack time for creating images and visual content, visit our post ideas library, where you’ll find premade content by niche.

Have you ever faced any troubles with social media image sizes? Share your experience with us in the comments below. We’ll be glad to hear your opinions on this topic!