Social Media Image Sizes: Starting Canvases and Crop Checks
Social platforms can crop, scale, or recompress an upload differently across placements and devices. This guide, reviewed on July 17, 2026, gives practical starting canvases for major platforms and flags the previews you still need to check before publishing.
Why Image Dimensions Matter
Aspect ratio determines how much of a frame fits a placement before cropping or padding. Pixel dimensions affect the detail available for scaling and recompression. The visible result can also change with the app, screen, account feature, or placement.
A suitable canvas cannot promise more engagement, but it helps prevent accidental crops, unreadable text, and soft assets. Treat the tables below as export starting points, then use the platform's current preview and official help page as the final authority.
Instagram Size Starting Points
Instagram supports several feed shapes and uses different crops in profile grids, feeds, Stories, and Reels. A tall grid preview is not proof that every viewer or placement will display the complete source.
| Format | Dimensions (px) | Aspect ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Feed post (portrait) | 1080 x 1350 | 4:5 |
| Feed post (square) | 1080 x 1080 | 1:1 |
| Feed post (tall grid) | 1080 x 1440 | 3:4 |
| Feed post (landscape) | 1080 x 566 | 1.91:1 |
| Stories & Reels | 1080 x 1920 | 9:16 |
| Profile picture | 320 x 320 | 1:1 (circle) |
Tip: A 1080 x 1350 (4:5) canvas is a common portrait-feed starting point. Check how it is cropped in the current feed and profile-grid previews before publishing. Resize your image for Instagram, then reposition important content if needed.
Facebook Size Starting Points
Facebook has separate placements for feed images, covers, events, groups, profiles, and Stories. The visible crop is responsive, so a nominal canvas does not define the exact safe area on every screen.
| Format | Dimensions (px) | Aspect ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Feed post (portrait) | 1080 x 1350 | 4:5 |
| Feed post (square) | 1080 x 1080 | 1:1 |
| Cover photo (page) | 820 x 360 | ~2.3:1 |
| Event cover | 1920 x 1005 | 1.91:1 |
| Group cover | 1640 x 856 | 1.91:1 |
| Profile picture | 176 x 176 | 1:1 (circle) |
| Stories | 1080 x 1920 | 9:16 |
Tip: Facebook cover photos can crop differently across desktop and mobile. Keep text and logos away from the edges, then inspect both previews rather than relying on one fixed safe zone. Resize for Facebook with responsive cropping in mind.
Twitter/X Size Starting Points
X can show post images differently according to aspect ratio, media count, client, and timeline context. Landscape, square, and portrait uploads can all be valid, but the preview should be checked in the intended composer.
| Format | Dimensions (px) | Aspect ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Post image (landscape) | 1600 x 900 | 16:9 |
| Post image (square) | 1080 x 1080 | 1:1 |
| Header / banner | 1500 x 500 | 3:1 |
| Profile picture | 400 x 400 | 1:1 (circle) |
Tip: A 1600×900, 16:9 canvas is a practical landscape starting point, not a guarantee of the largest display or zero cropping in every client. Resize for Twitter/X, then check the post preview.
LinkedIn Size Starting Points
LinkedIn uses different canvases for posts, personal profile backgrounds, company-page assets, and profile photos. Its official help currently recommends 1584 x 396 pixels for a personal profile cover and warns that appearance can change with the browser window and screen.
| Format | Dimensions (px) | Aspect ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Post image (landscape) | 1200 x 627 | 1.91:1 |
| Post image (square) | 1080 x 1080 | 1:1 |
| Profile banner | 1584 x 396 | 4:1 |
| Company banner | 1128 x 191 | ~6:1 |
| Profile picture | 400 x 400 | 1:1 (circle) |
Tip: Leave generous margins around essential banner content because the visible area can change across screens. Do not treat a fixed center percentage as a universal safe zone. Resize for LinkedIn, then review the live crop.
YouTube Size Starting Points
YouTube thumbnails are prominent discovery assets, but dimensions alone do not determine click-through rate. Current YouTube help recommends a 3840 x 2160 custom thumbnail with a minimum width of 640 pixels and a 16:9 ratio for common players and previews.
| Format | Dimensions (px) | Aspect ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Video thumbnail | 3840 x 2160 | 16:9 |
| Channel banner | 2560 x 1440 | 16:9 |
| Banner safe area | Check the current channel preview | Centered, device-dependent |
| Profile picture | 800 x 800 | 1:1 (circle) |
| Shorts | 1080 x 1920 | 9:16 |
Tip: YouTube channel banners display differently across devices. Design essential content for the centered preview shown in the current editor, then extend nonessential artwork outward. Create YouTube thumbnails at the current recommended canvas.
Pinterest, TikTok, and Telegram
Pinterest and TikTok offer prominent vertical placements, while Telegram includes square profile assets, stickers, and message media with different behaviors. Interface controls and captions can overlap content, so check each destination instead of applying one shared safe zone.
| Platform | Format | Dimensions (px) | Aspect ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Pin | 1000 x 1500 | 2:3 | |
| Full-screen creative | 1080 x 1920 | 9:16 | |
| TikTok | Video / Photo | 1080 x 1920 | 9:16 |
| TikTok | Profile picture | Square source; verify minimum | 1:1 |
| Telegram | Shared landscape image | 1280 x 720 | 16:9 |
| Telegram | Sticker | 512 x 512 | 1:1 |
Tip: Keep text and key subjects away from interface overlays shown in the current Pinterest or TikTok preview. A fixed center percentage is not reliable across every placement, language, device, and app version.
Quick Reference: Common Starting Canvas
This table selects one common starting canvas per platform for a fast first export. It does not promise an uncropped result and does not replace placement-specific documentation.
| Platform | Starting canvas (px) | Ratio | Resize tool |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1080 x 1350 | 4:5 | Resize | |
| 1080 x 1350 | 4:5 | Resize | |
| Twitter/X | 1600 x 900 | 16:9 | Resize |
| 1200 x 627 | 1.91:1 | Resize | |
| YouTube | 3840 x 2160 | 16:9 | Resize |
| 1000 x 1500 | 2:3 | Resize | |
| TikTok | 1080 x 1920 | 9:16 | Resize |
| Telegram | 1280 x 720 | 16:9 | Resize |
Need to resize right now? Pick a platform from the table above or use the general image resizer for custom dimensions. For format guidance, see our JPEG vs PNG comparison and image file sizes guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I upload an image with the wrong dimensions?
The service may crop, scale, recompress, pad, or reject it, depending on the placement and current client. A valid upload can still lose text or important subjects in previews. Check the preview on desktop and mobile before publishing; dimensions alone do not guarantee engagement.
Should I use PNG or JPEG for social media?
JPEG is often efficient for photographs, while PNG can preserve sharp text, flat graphics, and transparency without lossy artifacts. Either can be transformed after upload, and accepted formats vary by placement. Export both when the difference matters, then inspect the platform-rendered copy.
Do I need different images for each platform?
Usually you need at least a few aspect-ratio variants. Start from a protected master, compose separate landscape, square, portrait, and full-screen versions as needed, and move text or subjects rather than merely stretching the canvas. Preview each destination because crop behavior can differ by client and placement.
What image size should I start with for TikTok?
A 1080×1920-pixel 9:16 canvas is a common starting point for full-screen vertical content. It is not a universal requirement for every TikTok placement. Check the current composer and preview, then keep essential text and subjects clear of captions, controls, and any crop shown by the app.