What Size Are Instagram Photos?

Instagram users may or may not remember the time when every post had to be square in shape, to fit…

Instagram users may or may not remember the time when every post had to be square in shape, to fit with the layout of the app and the curation of each user’s profile grid on their page. This followed Instagram’s 1:1 image ratio, where all photos had to be cropped to fit the box provided.

But as the app has expanded, so too have the options – with users now able to post photos and images which follow portrait, landscape, and square box formats.

Let’s take a closer look at the different sized photos that you can post on Instagram, how each is presented on the app, and which size is best for clarity.

Which Image Formats are Available on Instagram?

If you want to post an image or video on Instagram today, your post can follow any of the below formats:

  • Square
  • Portrait
  • Landscape

How to Post Images in Different Formats

Depending on the original format and layout of the image that you are posting, you will find that Instagram does much of the hard work for you.

When you first upload an image or media clip which is in portrait or landscape mode, the ‘New Post’ screen will show the full image. To crop it down into a square shape, you need simply click on the button in the left hand corner which shows two corner arrows or zoom into the image for yourself.

Clicking on this button again will bring up the full image in its original format.

What Are the Different Sizes?

When uploading an image in square, portrait, or landscape mode, Instagram will automatically configure the image to its ideal size.

For square images, this is 1080px by 1080px – a ratio of 1:1.

For portrait images, this is 1080px by 1350px – a ratio of 4:5.

For landscape images, this is 1080px by 608px – a ratio of 1.91:1

Landscape and portrait images and videos which do not match this ratio may be subject to a border added by Instagram.

Instagram Format in Different Sizes

Image Sizes on Instagram Stories and Reels

As Stories and Reels fill the whole screen, they are particularly well suited to portrait photos and videos. Users will notice that when they first upload a photo to their story, the default option is to fill the screen with the image – which can then be cropped accordingly.

As Stories content is designed to be viewed on a screen in portrait mode, photos which are posted in landscape will not be as aesthetically pleasing.

Reels work in much the same way and are generally uploaded to fill the whole screen just as you would when uploading a Story. However, it is worth noting that when you choose your Instagram Reel thumbnail (the title page image which introduces your Reel and which sits on your grid as the introductory screen), it needs to work with a 1:1 ratio for your main profile grid and a 9:16 ratio for the Reels grid.

Trial and Error

The original size and format of an image or video will play an integral role in its presentation on Instagram. Trial and error is often the best way to work out how to position a post, whether that means displaying the full photo or cropping it to fit with Instagram’s square-shaped aesthetic.

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