Tutorial · 7 min read · Updated 15 August 2026
How to crop and resize images for social media platforms
Square posts, story aspect ratios, banner dimensions, and profile pictures without unexpected cropping or blurriness.
Each major social media platform has its own aspect ratio and resolution rules for profile pictures, feed posts, carousels and stories. Upload the wrong aspect ratio and the platform will apply its own lossy compression, an awkward crop from the centre, or ugly black bars around the image. Getting the shape right first with Crop Image and Resize Image avoids all three.
Standard Aspect Ratios & Exact Pixel Dimensions
| Platform & Placement | Aspect Ratio | Recommended Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram / Facebook Stories & Reels | 9:16 Vertical | 1080 × 1920 px |
| Instagram Feed (Portrait Post) | 4:5 Vertical | 1080 × 1350 px |
| Standard Square Post / Avatar | 1:1 Square | 1080 × 1080 px (Avatar: 512×512) |
| YouTube Thumbnail & Landscape Feed | 16:9 Landscape | 1280 × 720 px / 1920 × 1080 px |
| LinkedIn / Twitter Header Banner | 3:1 / 4:1 Wide | 1584 × 396 px (LinkedIn) / 1500 × 500 px |
Platforms do change these numbers from time to time. For YouTube, the current rules for custom thumbnails, including the 16:9 shape, are on YouTube's own help page.
Resizing vs. Cropping Without Aspect Ratio Distortion
Never force an image into an aspect ratio that does not match it. Faces and brand lettering end up stretched or squashed. Always crop to the target aspect ratio first. Then resize with high-quality Lanczos or Bicubic resampling to reach the exact pixel size you need.
For the two platforms with the fussiest rules there are presets that already know the numbers: Instagram and Facebook.