The Rules That Apply Everywhere
Before looking platform by platform, a few principles simplify everything:
- Always export at the recommended size, never smaller than needed
- Keep the key subject in the center: interfaces cover the edges
- Favor vertical formats on mobile, where most viewing happens
- Keep text readable without zooming, even on a small screen
An image in the right format isn’t cropped, badly compressed or cut in the wrong place.
Instagram changed its profile grid to a 3:4 display. A square visual is therefore cropped in the preview: leave margin around your subject.
| Format | Dimensions | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait post | 1080 × 1350 | 4:5 format, takes the most space in the feed |
| Square post | 1080 × 1080 | 1:1 format, still valid |
| Carousel | 1080 × 1350 | Keep the same ratio on every slide |
| Story / Reel | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16. Leave about 250 px free at the top and bottom |
| Grid preview | 1080 × 1440 | 3:4 ratio, plan for a centered crop |
| Profile photo | 320 × 320 | Displayed as a circle: center the face or logo |
Facebook mixes images, links and videos. Portrait works very well on mobile, while the cover photo is cropped differently on desktop and phone.
| Format | Dimensions | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Image post | 1080 × 1350 | 4:5 portrait, shown large in the feed |
| Link post | 1200 × 630 | 1.91:1 ratio, link preview image |
| Story / Reel | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16 full screen |
| Cover photo | 820 × 312 | Center area stays visible on mobile: keep the edges empty |
| Profile photo | 320 × 320 | Displayed as a circle |
LinkedIn: The Professional Register
On LinkedIn, visuals are more restrained, but format still matters. PDF carousels work especially well there: they invite swiping and keep people on the post.
| Format | Dimensions | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Image post | 1200 × 627 | 1.91:1 ratio or 1080 × 1350 portrait |
| PDF carousel | 1080 × 1350 | 4:5, or 1080 × 1080 |
| Page banner | 1128 × 191 | Short, centered text |
| Profile banner | 1584 × 396 | Avoid the photo area at bottom left |
| Logo / photo | 400 × 400 | Square logo, readable when small |
TikTok and YouTube
Video dominates here. Vertical is the norm on TikTok and Shorts. YouTube remains the home of horizontal video, with a thumbnail that often decides the click.
| Format | Dimensions | Use |
|---|---|---|
| TikTok | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16. Keep the edges free for interface text |
| YouTube Shorts | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16, same logic as TikTok |
| YouTube video | 1920 × 1080 | 16:9, Full HD |
| YouTube thumbnail | 1280 × 720 | 16:9, under 2 MB, short and large text |
| Channel banner | 2560 × 1440 | Safe area visible everywhere: 1546 × 423 in the center |
X and Pinterest
Two very different platforms. X shows wide images in the feed, while Pinterest favors very tall ones.
| Format | Dimensions | Use |
|---|---|---|
| X: post image | 1600 × 900 | 16:9, wide display in the feed |
| X: header | 1500 × 500 | 3:1, cropped depending on device |
| X: profile photo | 400 × 400 | Displayed as a circle |
| Pinterest: pin | 1000 × 1500 | 2:3 ratio, the best performing |
Check Before You Publish
Platforms regularly change how they display formats. These dimensions are solid benchmarks, not rules carved in stone.
Before every major campaign:
- Test a draft visual on mobile
- Check the safe zones of Stories and Reels
- Keep your source files so you can adapt a format in minutes
At OLAH, every creation is designed from the start to be adapted to all your channels. One shoot, every format.
