Instagram and Facebook Image Sizes: Ratios, Pixels and How to Crop
By Tools Star Hub Editorial Team · Published
Quick answer: Instagram keeps a photo at its original resolution when it is between 320 and 1080 pixels wide and its aspect ratio is between 1.91:1 (landscape) and 3:4 (portrait), so 1080 × 1080 for square, 1080 × 566 for the widest landscape and 1080 × 1440 for the tallest portrait all fit. For a link shared on Facebook, Meta recommends an image of at least 1200 × 630 pixels, close to a 1.91:1 ratio. Crop to the ratio first with the Image Cropper, then set the width with the Image Resizer.
If a picture does not match the platform’s ratio, the platform crops it for you, often cutting off heads, product edges or text. If it is too small it is enlarged and looks soft; if it is huge it is scaled down, sometimes with extra compression. Preparing the crop and size yourself keeps control of what people see.
What image sizes does Instagram support?
According to Instagram’s Help Center, photos are uploaded at up to 1080 pixels wide. When a photo is between 320 and 1080 pixels wide, Instagram keeps its original resolution as long as the aspect ratio is between 1.91:1 and 3:4, which at 1080 wide means a height between 566 and 1440 pixels. Photos with an unsupported ratio are cropped to fit a supported one. Lower-resolution photos are enlarged to 320 wide, and higher-resolution photos are reduced to 1080 wide.
So uploading a 4000-pixel photo gains nothing: it is resized to 1080. Uploading a 600-pixel photo is kept at 600 but will look softer on large phones than a 1080 one. Aim for exactly 1080 wide.
| Shape | Ratio | Pixels | Within Instagram’s range? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square | 1:1 | 1080 × 1080 | Yes |
| Widest landscape | 1.91:1 | 1080 × 566 | Yes |
| Portrait | 4:5 | 1080 × 1350 | Yes |
| Tallest portrait | 3:4 | 1080 × 1440 | Yes |
| Widescreen video frame | 16:9 | 1080 × 608 | Yes (between 1.91:1 and 1:1) |
| Phone-screen portrait | 9:16 | 1080 × 1920 | No, taller than 3:4, so it is cropped in the feed |
What size should a Facebook link image be?
When you share a web page on Facebook, the preview image comes from the page’s og:image tag. Meta’s developer documentation sets a minimum of 200 × 200 pixels and a maximum file size of 8MB, recommends at least 1200 × 630 pixels for high-resolution screens, and says images of at least 600 × 315 display as large link previews. Smaller images still appear, but as a small thumbnail beside the link.
Meta also asks you to keep images as close to 1.91:1 as possible so the full image shows without cropping. 1200 ÷ 630 is about 1.905, which is why 1200 × 630 is the usual target.
How do I crop to an exact social media ratio?
The Image Cropper has preset ratios of Free, 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9. Use 1:1 for square posts and 16:9 for widescreen frames. For 4:5, 1.91:1 or 3:4, choose Free and drag the handles, watching the crop size shown in pixels. The box can be moved with a mouse, a finger or the arrow keys.
After cropping, the shape may be close but not exact, for example 1083 × 1352. The Image Resizer fixes that: turn off Lock aspect ratio and type 1080 × 1350. A difference of a few pixels causes no visible stretching. For exact work, use the Aspect Ratio Calculator to find the height for any width.
Where should I place text and faces?
Keep important content away from the edges. Profile grids and some feeds show a cropped version of your post, so a centred subject survives better than one in a corner. For link images, avoid putting small text near the borders, since some placements trim the image.
Use large, short text. A headline that is easy to read at 1200 pixels wide may be unreadable in a phone feed where the image is shown at a third of that.
What about X and other platforms?
X, LinkedIn and other networks publish their own recommendations and change them from time to time. For link previews, most of them read the same Open Graph tags as Facebook, so a 1200 × 630 og:image is a widely used starting point. Check each platform’s current help page for in-feed photo posts, and preview shared links with the Open Graph Preview tool before posting.
How do I keep images sharp after uploading?
Upload at exactly the target width so the platform does not need to rescale it much, and avoid saving the file several times in a row as JPG. For graphics with text, a PNG export keeps letters crisp before upload, and the platform will apply its own compression afterwards either way.
Start from the largest original you have. Enlarging a small image to 1080 pixels adds pixels but no detail, so a 500-pixel picture stretched to 1080 still looks soft. If your only copy is small, a square or portrait post shown smaller in the feed hides that better than a wide one.
Finally, check colour and contrast on a phone. Thin light text over a photo can disappear once the image is scaled down, so add a solid or semi-transparent panel behind it.
What is a quick workflow for one image across both platforms?
Start with the original photo and make one crop per destination rather than one compromise crop. In the Image Cropper, choose 1:1 for a square Instagram post and export, then reopen the original, choose Free and drag to roughly 4:5 for a portrait post. For a Facebook link image, choose Free again and aim for 1.91:1, then resize to 1200 × 630 in the Image Resizer.
Name each file by platform and shape, such as post-square.jpg and link-1200x630.jpg, so the right version is uploaded each time.
How do I prepare an image for Instagram or Facebook step by step?
- Choose the shape. Square 1:1, portrait 4:5 or landscape 1.91:1 for Instagram; 1.91:1 for Facebook link images.
- Crop. Open the Image Cropper, pick 1:1 or 16:9 or use Free, and frame the subject away from the edges.
- Resize. In the Image Resizer, set 1080 wide for Instagram or 1200 × 630 for a link image, and choose JPG.
- Check the result. View it small, as on a phone, to confirm text is readable.
- Preview links. For a shared web page, check the og:image with the Open Graph Preview tool.
Example
A landscape holiday photo as a 4:5 post
The photo is 4000 × 3000. Crop with Free to a portrait 4:5 area, for example 2400 × 3000, then resize to 1080 × 1350.
A blog banner for Facebook shares
Crop a wide image to about 1.91:1 and resize to 1200 × 630. Facebook shows it as a large preview because it is above 600 × 315.
A 9:16 phone screenshot in the feed
9:16 is taller than Instagram’s 3:4 limit, so the feed would crop it. Crop to 3:4 yourself and resize to 1080 × 1440 so you choose what stays.
What are the common mistakes?
Uploading huge files
Instagram reduces anything wider than 1080 pixels, so larger uploads only take longer.
Ignoring the ratio
Out-of-range ratios are cropped automatically, which may remove part of the subject.
Changing link images without a new URL
Facebook caches images by URL. Meta advises using a new image URL when you replace an og:image.
FAQ
- What is the best Instagram photo size?
- 1080 pixels wide with a ratio between 1.91:1 and 3:4, such as 1080 × 1080, 1080 × 1350 or 1080 × 1440.
- Why does Instagram crop my photo?
- Its ratio is outside 1.91:1 to 3:4. Instagram crops it to fit a supported ratio.
- Does Instagram reduce image resolution?
- Photos wider than 1080 pixels are resized to 1080 wide, and photos narrower than 320 are enlarged to 320.
- What size is a Facebook link preview image?
- Meta recommends at least 1200 × 630 pixels, ratio close to 1.91:1, under 8MB.
- Why is my Facebook link image tiny?
- Images smaller than 600 × 315 pixels show as a small thumbnail rather than a large preview.
- How do I crop to 4:5?
- Use Free in the Image Cropper, drag to roughly 4:5, then resize to 1080 × 1350 in the Image Resizer.
- Is 1080 × 1920 OK for an Instagram feed post?
- Its 9:16 ratio is taller than the 3:4 limit, so the feed would crop it. Use 1080 × 1440 or 1080 × 1350 instead.
- Should social images be JPG or PNG?
- JPG suits photos. PNG suits graphics with sharp text. Both are accepted by Instagram and Facebook.
- Do the cropper and resizer upload my photos?
- No. Both work in your browser and do not send the image to Tools Star Hub.
- How do I update an image Facebook has cached?
- Use a new image URL and refresh the share with Meta’s Sharing Debugger, as its documentation describes.
- What size works for Instagram Reels covers?
- Design vertical near 1080×1920 and keep titles inside the central safe area phones do not crop.
- How wide should a Facebook cover photo be?
- Use current Meta cover dimensions and keep text away from profile-photo overlap zones.
- Can Stories use the same file as feed posts?
- Feed is often 4:5 or 1:1; Stories need 9:16—export separate crops.
- Why do carousel slides look uneven?
- Keep every slide on the same ratio and pixel size so Instagram does not rescale mid-swipe.
- Should I upload sRGB photos?
- Yes—sRGB is the safe color space for Meta apps so hues do not shift.
- How do I avoid muddy text on link previews?
- Use large type and high contrast; preview images are shown small in the feed.
- Is 1080 px wide still enough in 2026?
- It remains a solid Instagram width; sharper masters help when the app compresses uploads.
- Can I post a 16:9 landscape on Instagram feed?
- Yes, but expect more letterboxing or cropping versus 4:5 portraits that fill phones better.
- Do Facebook ads need different safe margins?
- Ad placements crop differently—follow Ads Manager placement previews, not only organic sizes.
- How often should size charts be rechecked?
- Meta tweaks specs; verify against current help docs before a big campaign.
Frame your post with the free Image Cropper.
Set 1080 or 1200 pixels wide with the Image Resizer.
Check a link preview with the Open Graph Preview.
Learn crop basics in How to Crop an Image.