Social Media Image Sizes Calculator
The quick-reference table of pixel sizes and aspect ratios for every major social platform — Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, Facebook, and Pinterest. Pair it with our free aspect ratio calculator to scale your assets without distortion.
Why social media image sizes matter
Every social platform crops, scales, or compresses images that do not match its expected aspect ratio. Upload a 16:9 banner where a 9:16 story is expected and the platform will either letterbox it (wasted space, weak engagement) or centre-crop it (cutting off your headline, logo, or call to action). Designing to the correct aspect ratio from the start is the single highest-leverage thing you can do to keep paid and organic creative on-brand across feeds.
Pixel dimensions matter for a second reason: every platform recompresses uploads. Submitting an image at exactly the recommended size minimises the number of recompression passes, preserves type clarity, and keeps thin lines from turning into JPEG artefacts. The table below combines the two — the recommended pixel size and the underlying aspect ratio — so you can fix both in one pass.
2026 social media image size cheat sheet
| Platform | Image Type | Pixels (W × H) | Aspect Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square Post | 1080 × 1080 | 1:1 | |
| Story | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16 | |
| Reels | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16 | |
| X (Twitter) | In-stream Image | 1200 × 675 | 16:9 |
| X (Twitter) | Header / Banner | 1500 × 500 | 3:1 |
| TikTok | Video / Cover | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16 |
| YouTube | Thumbnail | 1280 × 720 | 16:9 |
| YouTube | Channel Banner | 2048 × 1152 | 16:9 |
| YouTube | Shorts | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16 |
| Post Image | 1200 × 627 | 1.91:1 | |
| Personal Banner | 1584 × 396 | 4:1 | |
| Feed Post | 1200 × 630 | 1.91:1 | |
| Cover Photo | 820 × 312 | 2.6:1 | |
| Standard Pin | 1000 × 1500 | 2:3 | |
| Square Pin | 1000 × 1000 | 1:1 |
How to use this guide with the aspect ratio calculator
- Pick the platform and post type you are designing for from the table below.
- Note the recommended pixel dimensions and the resulting aspect ratio (for example, 1080 × 1920 = 9:16).
- Open the Aspect Ratio Calculator and plug in either the pixel width and height, or the ratio plus one dimension.
- Use the calculator to scale, crop, or rebuild assets so they keep the exact ratio without distortion.
- Export at the recommended pixel size to avoid platform-side recompression and quality loss.
A worked example: you have a hero render at 4096 × 2160 (a 17:9 cinema crop) and need an Instagram square post. Plug 4096 into the width field, set the target ratio to 1:1, and the calculator returns the matching height — 4096 — telling you exactly how much to crop top-and-bottom (936 px each) to land on a clean 1:1 export.
Three rules of thumb that save you redesigns
- Design vertical-first for video. 9:16 (1080 × 1920) is the native ratio for Reels, Stories, TikTok, and Shorts — four of the highest-distribution surfaces in 2026. Cropping 9:16 down to 1:1 or 16:9 is trivial; the other direction creates ugly letterboxing.
- Keep critical content inside the safe zone. Platforms add UI overlays (profile photos, captions, sticker trays) that occupy roughly the top and bottom 250 px of vertical formats. Anything you must read should sit in the centre 60% of the frame.
- Standardise on three master sizes. Most teams can cover 90% of placements with three exports per asset: 1080 × 1080 (1:1), 1080 × 1920 (9:16), and 1200 × 630 (1.91:1 for link previews). Build templates around those three first.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most universal social media image size?
1080 × 1080 (a 1:1 square) is the safest single size — it crops cleanly to feeds on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Pinterest without losing edges. For vertical surfaces like Stories, Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts, 1080 × 1920 (9:16) is the matching universal size.
Why do platforms recommend 1200 × 630 instead of true 16:9?
Open Graph image scrapers used by Facebook and LinkedIn standardised on a 1.91:1 ratio (1200 × 630) so previews look consistent across feeds and link cards. It is close to 16:9 but slightly wider, leaving more horizontal space for headlines and logos.
How do I avoid blurry uploads?
Always export at — or just above — the recommended pixel dimensions, and use a high-quality JPEG (85 quality or higher) or PNG. If you upload an image smaller than the target slot, the platform upscales it and the result looks soft.
What aspect ratio works for both Instagram and Twitter feeds?
There is no single ratio that fits both natively. The best compromise is to design at 1200 × 1200 (1:1) — it ships unmodified to Instagram, and Twitter will letterbox the same square in feeds without cropping any subject matter.
Are these sizes still correct in 2026?
Yes — these are the current spec sheets from each platform’s Help Center as of 2026. We monitor changes (especially TikTok and X, which iterate frequently) and update this page when official guidance moves.
Ready to crop, scale, or convert your own assets? Open the Aspect Ratio Calculator and work the numbers in seconds.