
Have you ever experienced the frustration of carefully designed social media graphics being compressed, distorted, or cropped after upload? While a compelling image can convey more than words, its effectiveness depends on clarity, aesthetics, and perfect dimensions. This comprehensive guide provides optimal image specifications for five major social platforms to ensure your visuals always make maximum impact.
Instagram: Mastering Visual Storytelling
As a visually-driven platform, Instagram demands meticulous attention to image quality. These specifications will help optimize your presence:
Profile Picture
- Dimensions: 320 × 320 pixels (upload square images despite circular display)
- Key elements should remain centered to avoid cropping
Feed Posts
- Landscape: 1080 × 566 pixels
- Portrait: 1080 × 1350 pixels
- Square: 1080 × 1080 pixels
- Aspect ratio range: 1.91:1 to 4:5
Stories
- Dimensions: 1080 × 1920 pixels
- Aspect ratio: 9:16 (full-screen display)
Facebook: Optimizing for the Social Giant
Facebook's evolving specifications require careful adaptation for optimal brand presentation:
Profile Picture
- 170 × 170 pixels (desktop)
- 128 × 128 pixels (mobile)
Cover Photo
- Recommended: 851 × 315 pixels
- Minimum: 400 × 150 pixels
- Optimal file size: under 100KB
Timeline Posts
- Recommended: 1200 × 630 pixels
- Minimum: 600 × 315 pixels
Pinterest: Maximizing Discovery Potential
The inspiration platform rewards carefully optimized visuals with greater discoverability:
Profile Picture
- 165 × 165 pixels (displays as circle)
Pins
- Recommended: 1000 × 1500 pixels (2:3 ratio)
- Square option: 1000 × 1000 pixels
- Maximum file size: 20MB
TikTok: Video-Centric Specifications
The short-form video leader requires specific adaptations for content creation:
Profile Picture
- Minimum upload: 20 × 20 pixels
- Higher resolution recommended
Video Content
- Dimensions: 1080 × 1920 pixels
- Aspect ratios: 1:1 or 9:16
Snapchat: Ephemeral Content Considerations
The disappearing-content platform maintains strict visual requirements:
Ad Images
- Minimum: 1080 × 1920 pixels
- Aspect ratio: 9:16
- Maximum file size: 5MB
By implementing these platform-specific guidelines, businesses and content creators can ensure their visual assets maintain quality and effectiveness across all major social networks. Attention to technical specifications represents a fundamental component of successful digital strategy in today's visually-driven online landscape.