Social media image sizes for business
Use 1080 × 1080 pixels for a square Instagram or Facebook post, 1080 × 1350 for a portrait post, 1080 × 1920 for stories and reels covers, 1640 × 624 for a Facebook cover and 1280 × 720 for a YouTube thumbnail. Keep text away from the edges, because apps crop and overlay buttons there.
Sizes at a glance
| Where | Pixels | Shape |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram / Facebook post, square | 1080 × 1080 | 1:1 |
| Instagram post, portrait | 1080 × 1350 | 4:5 |
| Instagram / Facebook story, WhatsApp status | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16 |
| Facebook page cover | 1640 × 624 | About 2.6:1 |
| YouTube thumbnail | 1280 × 720 | 16:9 |
Platforms change their layouts from time to time, so check their help pages if something looks cropped. CatalogProFlow's social templates come in square post, story, Facebook cover and YouTube thumbnail sizes, and download as PNG images at those pixel sizes.
Safe zones
- Stories: keep text out of the top and bottom 250 pixels or so, where the profile name and reply bar sit.
- Facebook cover: the sides are cropped on phones, and the profile picture covers part of the bottom left. Keep the main message in the centre.
- Square posts shown in a profile grid may be cropped to a narrower shape; keep the headline central.
- YouTube thumbnails: the video length appears in the bottom right corner.
What works for a small business post
- One message per post: a dish, a deal, an event, opening hours, a new arrival.
- Five to ten words on the image; put the details in the caption.
- Your logo small in a corner, the same place every time.
- Real photos of your food, products, shop or team usually beat generic stock photos.
Turn a print design into a post
- Open the flyer, menu or sign you've already made.
- Choose Resize and pick Instagram post or story. It makes a copy at the new size; your original stays as it is.
- Move and resize text so it fits the new shape, then download a PNG (free with an account).
Starting fresh? The social media gallery has posts for sales, events, opening hours, products, quotes and listings, sorted by industry.
Text and contrast on small screens
- Most people see your post on a phone, often at a few centimetres wide in a feed. Big, bold words work; small print doesn't.
- Put light text on a dark area of the photo, or add a solid band behind the text.
- Check the post on your own phone before you publish it.
Keeping a weekly rhythm
Many small businesses post a few times a week: a product or dish, an offer, opening hours or an event, and something behind the scenes. Save one design for each type of post with your logo and colours, then duplicate it each week and change the photo and words. Download PNGs for Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp status or Google Business Profile posts, and schedule them with the app you already use.
Questions
- What size is an Instagram post?
- 1080 × 1080 pixels for a square post, or 1080 × 1350 pixels for a portrait (4:5) post.
- What size is an Instagram story?
- 1080 × 1920 pixels (9:16).
- What size is a Facebook cover photo?
- 1640 × 624 pixels works well; keep important content in the centre because phones crop the sides.
- Do I need different designs for each platform?
- You can make one design and use Resize to copy it to other sizes, then adjust the layout for each shape.
- What size is a YouTube thumbnail?
- 1280 × 720 pixels (16:9). Keep the main subject and text away from the bottom right corner, where the video length shows.
- Can I post the same image to Instagram and Facebook?
- Yes. A 1080 × 1080 square post works on both. Use Resize if you also want a story version.