How to Get the Entire Picture on Instagram

From feed posts to Instagram Videos and Reels, knowing the best Instagram image size and ratio is no mean feat.

In this handy guide, you'll find all the Instagram dimensions you need to create perfect images and videos.

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Understanding Instagram Image Size & Aspect Ratio

When sharing photos and videos on Instagram, there are two main things to keep in mind: aspect ratio and size.

Instagram Aspect Ratio (Dimension)

Aspect ratio refers to the width of a picture in relation to its height.

It's expressed as a ratio, like 4:5 or 9:16, where the first digit represents the width and the second digit represents height.

It's important to make sure your photos and videos fall within Instagram's guidelines, otherwise, they'll be cropped to fit a supported ratio — which could result in part of your image being lost.

Luckily, Later's cropping tool has recommended ratios for Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter — so you can always make sure your posts are perfectly optimized before you post.

Instagram Image Size (Resolution)

Size (or resolution) refers to the number of pixels that make up the width and height of your photo or video.

Like aspect ratio, size is expressed by two numbers — the first representing width and the second representing height.

For example, a picture size of 1080px by 1080px is much larger than one sized 50px by 50px.

So why does picture size on Instagram matter?

Even though Instagram compresses your photos and videos, it's always better to share at an optimal resolution. That way, when Instagram compresses your photo size, it won't affect the image quality.

Achieve the perfect crop for all your posts with Later's editing tools , available on all Later plans!

Instagram Post Size Guide #1: Instagram Feed Posts

Once upon a time, Instagram photo and video sizes were limited to the simple square, but now (almost) anything goes.

Dimensions of Instagram posts now range from 16:9 all the way to 4:5!

Horizontal Posts (16:9)

While Instagram recommends a post ratio of 1.91:1, you can actually go as far as 16:9.

In any case, we recommend you make the height of your horizontal photo at least 1080px. That way, when Instagram compresses the file, the quality should remain pretty high.

Square Posts (1:1)

Although Instagram supports horizontal and vertical photos, square posts continue to be a popular choice on Instagram – especially as the Instagram profile grid crops content to a 1:1 ratio.

So how do you optimize for square?

We recommend making your square photos 1080px by 1080px in size. That way, when Instagram compresses the file, the version will still be high quality.

Vertical Posts (4:5)

Generally speaking, your vertical photos should have an aspect ratio of 4:5. Anything longer (like 4:6 or 4:7), and Instagram will crop your content.

Vertical posts take up more real estate as someone scrolls through their home feed, so they're more optimized than horizontal posts. However, it's a good idea to keep in mind how they'll look once they're cropped square in the Instagram profile grid.

As for size, we recommend going with 1080px by 1350px. That way, when Instagram compresses the photo, it should be displayed at around 480px by 600px.

Instagram Post Size Guide #2: Instagram Carousel Posts

Instagram carousel posts can be square, horizontal, or vertical in format — and can include both photos and videos.

However, once you've selected your first photo or video, all of the following photos or videos you select will be cropped to the same aspect ratio.

If the first photo you select is square (like the example above) all of your following content will be cropped to a 1:1 format.

Instagram Post Size Guide #3: Instagram Stories

You can share pretty much anything on Instagram Stories, as long as it has a minimum dimensions of 1.91:1 and a maximum dimensions of 9:16.

Because most people prefer their stories to take up the whole screen (no borders), we recommend using an aspect ratio of 9:16 with a size of 1080px by 1920px.

Need some help editing your Instagram Stories? Check out our top apps for creating Instagram Stories.

Instagram Post Size Guide #4: Instagram Videos

Instagram recently merged Feed videos and IGTVs into a single format:Instagram Video.

By merging IGTV with Feed videos, Instagram now has a single destination for longer form video content.

To support this change, Instagram's introduced several new features for Instagram Video:

A new Video tab on Profile
Trimming
Ability to upload video captions
People and location tagging
60 second Feed Previews*

NOTE: Previews will be limited to 15 seconds for In-stream Video Ads.

Instagram supports Feed Video Previews with aspect ratios spanning from 16:9 to 4:5. Videos should have a frame rate of 30 frames per second, and a maximum file size of 4GB.

Once you've nailed your Instagram Video sizes, you can get your content out there with Later's Visual Instagram Planner.

It shows you exactly what your Instagram feed will look like with your future posts (both images and videos) — making it a game-changer for nailing your aesthetic.

It lets you easily rearrange or swap out your posts, so you can find the perfect balance for your Instagram feed.

Scheduling out your posts ahead of time doesn't just help you maintain a consistent aesthetic, but it also helps you to post regularly.

Instagram Post Size Guide #5: Instagram Reels

Much like stories, Instagram Reels are designed to be viewed vertically, full-screen, and on mobile.

With this in mind, we recommend using an aspect ratio of 9:16. Shooting and editing directly on mobile is a good way to stick to the optimal dimensions.

TIP: The bottom fifth of a Reel is where the video caption is displayed. Avoid having important visual elements in this section if possible.

Instagram Post Size Guide #6: Live Videos

Instagram Live videos are meant to be shot vertically, as they are designed to be broadcast directly from your mobile device.

This means the aspect ratio will always be the full width and height of your screen (which is usually 9:16).

As you can't manually change the size or aspect ratio of your Instagram Live videos, you don't have to worry too much about it.

How to Resize Images to Instagram Size

Now you know all of the best sizes and dimensions for every type of Instagram post, you can optimize your content accordingly.

Later has a super handy cropping tool with all the recommended ratios for Instagram image posts — so you can adjust your posts to the perfect crop as you plan and schedule your content.

All you have to do is tap the "Edit" button when you drag and drop an image onto your content calendar.

To resize a video for Instagram, you can also use Later's editing tools.

You can easily crop to Instagram's recommended video dimensions (square, portrait, or landscape), and trim your video to a new length.

That's it! You're now up-to-speed on how to optimize your feed posts, stories, IGTV videos, Reels, and more.

And if you're ever unsure, download our free infographic as a quick and easy reference.

Want to make sure your Instagram feed always looks its best? Join Later to plan, preview and schedule your posts — for free!

How to Get the Entire Picture on Instagram

Source: https://later.com/blog/instagram-image-size/