How to Resize Images for Social Media: A Complete Guide
How to Resize Images for Social Media: A Complete Guide
Every social media platform has its own recommended image dimensions. Using the wrong size can result in awkward cropping, blurry images, or wasted screen real estate. This guide covers the exact dimensions you need for every major platform in 2026.
Why Image Dimensions Matter
When you upload an image that doesn't match a platform's expected dimensions:
- Auto-cropping: The platform may cut off important parts of your image
- Quality loss: Upscaling small images makes them blurry
- Wasted space: Oversized images get compressed more aggressively by the platform
- Poor presentation: Incorrectly sized images look unprofessional
Getting the dimensions right before uploading ensures your content looks exactly as intended.
Instagram Image Sizes
Feed Posts
- Square: 1080 x 1080 px (1:1 ratio) — the classic Instagram format
- Portrait: 1080 x 1350 px (4:5 ratio) — takes up more screen space, recommended
- Landscape: 1080 x 566 px (1.91:1 ratio)
Stories & Reels
- Dimensions: 1080 x 1920 px (9:16 ratio)
- Full screen vertical format
Profile Picture
- Dimensions: 320 x 320 px (displayed as circle)
Pro tip: The 4:5 portrait ratio is the best performing format for Instagram feed posts because it takes up the most screen real estate in the feed.
Facebook Image Sizes
Feed Posts
- Recommended: 1200 x 630 px (1.91:1 ratio)
- Square: 1200 x 1200 px (1:1 ratio)
Cover Photo
- Desktop: 820 x 312 px
- Mobile: 640 x 360 px
Profile Picture
- Dimensions: 170 x 170 px (displayed as circle)
Stories
- Dimensions: 1080 x 1920 px (9:16 ratio)
Twitter / X Image Sizes
In-Stream Images
- Recommended: 1200 x 675 px (16:9 ratio)
- Maximum: 4096 x 4096 px
Profile Picture
- Dimensions: 400 x 400 px (displayed as circle)
Header Image
- Dimensions: 1500 x 500 px (3:1 ratio)
LinkedIn Image Sizes
Feed Posts
- Recommended: 1200 x 627 px (1.91:1 ratio)
- Square: 1200 x 1200 px
Profile Picture
- Dimensions: 400 x 400 px
Cover Image
- Dimensions: 1584 x 396 px
TikTok Image Sizes
Video Thumbnails
- Dimensions: 1080 x 1920 px (9:16 ratio)
Profile Picture
- Dimensions: 200 x 200 px
Pinterest Image Sizes
Standard Pins
- Recommended: 1000 x 1500 px (2:3 ratio)
- Maximum height: 2100 px
Profile Picture
- Dimensions: 165 x 165 px
Quick Reference Cheat Sheet
| Platform | Best Size | Aspect Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram Feed | 1080 x 1350 | 4:5 |
| Instagram Story | 1080 x 1920 | 9:16 |
| Facebook Post | 1200 x 630 | 1.91:1 |
| Twitter Post | 1200 x 675 | 16:9 |
| LinkedIn Post | 1200 x 627 | 1.91:1 |
| Pinterest Pin | 1000 x 1500 | 2:3 |
| TikTok | 1080 x 1920 | 9:16 |
Best Practices for Social Media Images
1. Start with High-Resolution Originals
Always work from the highest resolution version of your image. It's easy to resize down, but scaling up results in blurry, pixelated images.
2. Maintain Aspect Ratios
When resizing, always maintain the aspect ratio to avoid stretched or squished images. Most image editing tools (including Pixoma) lock the aspect ratio by default.
3. Optimize After Resizing
After resizing to the correct dimensions, compress the image to reduce file size. This helps with faster upload times and better platform performance.
4. Use Presets
Rather than memorizing all these dimensions, use preset sizes. Pixoma includes built-in presets for common social media dimensions, so you can resize to the perfect dimensions in a single tap.
5. Test on Mobile
Most social media is consumed on mobile devices. Always preview how your images will look on a phone screen before posting.
How Pixoma Simplifies Social Media Resizing
Pixoma makes resizing for social media effortless:
- Select your image from your photo library
- Choose a preset — social media sizes are built in
- Adjust if needed — fine-tune dimensions or switch to custom sizes
- Save — the resized image is ready to upload
With batch processing, you can resize an entire set of images to the same dimensions at once — perfect for preparing content calendars or batch social media posts.
Conclusion
Getting your image dimensions right is one of the easiest ways to improve how your content looks on social media. Use the recommended sizes in this guide, and let Pixoma handle the resizing for you. With built-in presets and batch processing, you can prepare perfectly sized images for any platform in seconds — all privately on your device.