Why Social Media Images Need Special Preparation
Every social platform re-compresses images after upload. If you upload a poorly sized or heavily compressed image, the platform's automatic processing degrades it further. Starting with the right dimensions and a clean original gives you the best outcome after the platform applies its own compression.
Getting this right means your posts look sharp, your brand looks professional, and profile photos do not appear blurry or cropped in unexpected ways.
Instagram displays images in three main shapes: square, portrait, and landscape.
| Post type | Recommended size | Aspect ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Square post | 1080 × 1080 px | 1:1 |
| Portrait post | 1080 × 1350 px | 4:5 |
| Landscape post | 1080 × 566 px | 1.91:1 |
| Story / Reel | 1080 × 1920 px | 9:16 |
| Profile picture | 320 × 320 px | 1:1 |
Instagram's feed displays images at a maximum of 1080 px wide. Uploading at exactly 1080 px avoids upscaling, which can soften the image. Use JPEG at quality 85 or higher, or PNG for graphics with text.
Facebook is less strict about exact dimensions, but inconsistent image sizes can lead to unexpected cropping in the feed and on your page cover.
| Image type | Recommended size |
|---|---|
| Feed post | 1200 × 630 px |
| Cover photo | 851 × 315 px |
| Profile picture | 170 × 170 px |
| Event cover | 1920 × 1005 px |
| Story | 1080 × 1920 px |
Facebook converts most uploads to JPEG internally. Upload a clean JPEG or PNG and Facebook's compression will have less work to do, resulting in a better-looking final image.
Twitter / X
Twitter / X applies fairly aggressive JPEG compression to uploaded images. Uploading a PNG instead of a JPEG can help, because the platform's JPEG conversion starts from a lossless source.
| Image type | Recommended size |
|---|---|
| In-feed image | 1600 × 900 px (16:9) |
| Profile picture | 400 × 400 px |
| Header / banner | 1500 × 500 px |
Images with text are especially vulnerable to Twitter's compression. Use PNG for screenshots, infographics, and images where text clarity matters.
LinkedIn is commonly used for professional content, and image quality is noticeable. Use clean, well-composed images that look good on a laptop screen.
| Image type | Recommended size |
|---|---|
| Share post image | 1200 × 627 px |
| Profile photo | 400 × 400 px |
| Cover photo | 1584 × 396 px |
| Company logo | 300 × 300 px |
| Company cover | 1128 × 191 px |
Pinterest is primarily a visual discovery platform, and taller images tend to perform better in the feed.
| Image type | Recommended size |
|---|---|
| Standard pin | 1000 × 1500 px (2:3) |
| Tall pin | 1000 × 2100 px |
| Square pin | 1000 × 1000 px |
| Profile picture | 165 × 165 px |
Tips for Maintaining Quality After Upload
Upload at the platform's recommended size, not larger. Some platforms will resize the image to fit, introducing an extra compression step. If you upload exactly at the display size, no resizing is needed.
Avoid re-saving JPEG files. Each time you open and save a JPEG, it loses quality. Work from the original and export the final image only once.
Use PNG for images with text, screenshots, or graphics. These compress poorly as JPEG. PNG uploads give the platform's automatic compression a cleaner source to work from.
Check the preview on mobile before posting. Profile photos and thumbnails are usually shown small, and mobile screens render compression artifacts differently than desktop screens.
Export at 72 PPI. Screens display at 72–96 PPI, so there is no benefit to uploading at 300 PPI (a print resolution). The extra data just increases file size.
Workflow Summary
1. Start with a high-quality original image.
2. Resize to the platform's recommended pixel dimensions.
3. Crop to the correct aspect ratio before resizing.
4. Export as JPEG at quality 85, or PNG for graphic images.
5. Check the preview on a phone before uploading.