If you’re a social media manager (or an agency owner who does it all!), then I’m sure you think about your business’s, company’s, and/or client’s Instagram aesthetic at least once or twice a day. With 500 million users scrolling through IG daily and 80 percent of users following a brand, what you post on Instagram needs to be more intentional than ever before.

That means placing people perfectly in your imagery, finding a balance of whitespace on your grid, and of course, having the correct Instagram photo size.

While the Instagram app does a great job of automatically cropping pictures, that doesn’t cut it when most social media marketers are working out of a social scheduler like Sprout Social or Onlypult (my personal fave because it schedules multiple photos and video).

I manage all things social at Flywheel, a managed WordPress hosting company, and if you’re like me, then you’re putting out loads of content and having your social calendar planned out a week (or a month!) in advance. That’s where knowing certain Instagram picture dimensions and the correct photo resolution is key.

Instead of posting an image through the Instagram app, which can be a bit cumbersome and a manual experience, I prefer to pull up my .PSD file, export the image as a JPEG, schedule it, and be pleasantly surprised when it pops up on my feed a week later!

That’s why I gathered these Instagram image sizes (including .PSD files), and if you’re even more advanced, I’ve got an Instagram grid file that can help you imagine what your next week or month’s content will look like in the app! No Adobe account? Totally fine! I’ll also recommend a few apps and online tools that can help.

Here’s what I’ll cover in our ultimate Instagram size guidelines:

• Instagram profile picture size
• Square Instagram image size
• Instagram portrait size (vertical)
• Instagram landscape size (horizontal)
• Instagram story dimensions
• Instagram image resolution tips
• A free reference guide (to remember all these best practices)
• Bonus: Free PSD downloads + Instagram feed mockup!

Instagram image sizes

Instagram has allowed the option of a square, horizontal, or vertical image since 2015, and each of them have their own advantages and disadvantages. So, let’s dive into each Instagram photo size and their perfect dimensions!

Instagram profile picture size

First things first – let’s start with your profile picture! While that little circle may seem small and insignificant, it’s your best chance to start building brand awareness with your logo. Plus, it’s visible alongside every other image you publish on the platform, so your Instagram profile picture is really a critical piece of the puzzle!

Instagram profile photo size is 110×110 px. (And remember: Be cautious with corners, since it crops to a circle!)

Square Instagram image size

The square size is the OG of Instagram dimensions, and my personal favorite. The square allows me to know exactly what it will look like when our followers view our profile, and the size is pretty easy to memorize. The only disadvantage to the square size is that it doesn’t take up as much space as a vertical image would in someone’s feed.

A square Instagram photo dimension is 1080×1080 px.

Vertical Instagram image size

Next up is the long, vertical image (portrait). This size is perfect if you want to take up more real-estate in the feed, which can be super eye-catching when done right! Personally, I love the way a vertical image looks while scrolling through my feed. Just remember to be cognizant of how it will look on your grid, since it will auto-crop to a square.

A vertical Instagram dimension is 1080×1350 px.

Horizontal Instagram image size

Fun fact: this landscape dimension was first inspired by Facebook ads so advertisers could have a sleek cross-platform compatibility with Instagram and Facebook. The more you know! Now it tends to be used for panoramic photography or horizontal video.

A horizontal image takes up the least amount of space on someone’s feed, but the crop within your grid typically isn’t too dramatic.

A horizontal Instagram dimension is 1080×566 px.

Instagram Stories image size

Ah, Instagram Stories. My favorite feature that Instagram has to offer. (And if you’re a marketer, it should be yours, too, since 1 out of 3 of the most viewed Stories are from businesses). Instagram Stories are fascinating because they’ve allowed brands and influencers to entertain their audience like never before. You can use them to highlight what people are loving about your brand, allow fans to ask you a question, or send viewers straight to your website if you have the coveted 10,000 followers you need to enable the “Swipe Up” feature.

While Stories are super fun for accounts and followers alike, there’s become an unspoken rule of perfection to them: GIFs should be thoughtfully placed, fonts should stay the same size as you tap, etc. That’s why creating Stories on Canva or in Photoshop can help you limit errors and ensure your images on your story are as stunning as your Instagram feed!

It can be tricky with all of the different-sized mobile phones out there, but as long as you stick to these Instagram story specs, you’ll be good to go:

The  Instagram story size is 1080×1920 px.

Instagram resolution tips

Now that we have the dimensions down, let’s quickly chat about the best image resolutions for Instagram photos. You’ve spent all of this time making sure your post is the perfect size, you’re dreaming up the perfect copy and researched which hashtags to include, and now comes the exporting stage.

Instagram’s compression algorithm kicks into gear if your file is too large – a.k.a. exceeding 1.6MB and 1080px width. This typically isn’t an issue if you’re using a mobile device to capture your photos, but if you’re using a DSLR or professional camera with photo editing software, take care to optimize your images.. (Remember: poor quality means less brand trust, fewer followers, and lower traffic to your website!)

These best practices will ensure your photos are sharp and high-quality, and far away from fuzzy and pixelated:

• Make sure the image format is exported as a JPEG.
• Shoot for exporting at 72 pixels per inch.
• The color space should be sRBG.
• When exporting, resize to fit long edge at 1080px.

Quick reference guide

While you may have these sizes memorized after a few photo edits, the rest of your team or designer might not. That’s why we created this quick infographic!

Download the guide and pin it in Slack so everyone on your team can reference Instagram photo dimensions with ease!

Bonus: A free Instagram feed mockup!

If you want to push your Instagram game even further, having a consistent feed aesthetic is key! It really helps your profile look even more branded and professional. Trying to plan your posts with this in mind can get tricky, however, so we created a free Instagram feed PSD mockup just for you!

Switch out everything from your logo to the individual images to see what your next week or even next campaign will look like once everything is published. Plus, you’ll get PSD files for each image size and a copy of the infographic from the download!

Download

With these dimensions, resolution tips, templates, and an infographic to use, you’re well on your way to having your best Instagram profile yet! (Maybe you’ll even join our list of inspiring Instagram accounts all marketers should be following!)

What are your favorite Instagram picture sizes to use? Let me know in the comments below. Even better yet, comment your favorite Instagram post that uses one of these dimensions!