Instagram sizes and ratios

What is an aspect ratio?

Aspect ratio is how wide an image is compared to how tall it is. Think of it like comparing different shapes of rectangles. Some are long and skinny, others are more square.

For example, a widescreen TV has a long and skinny shape, like 16:9. An old TV was more square, like 4:3.

Picking the right ratio depends on how you want the image to look and where you'll use it.

Instagram only allows images and videos of a certain aspect ratio to be posted on their platform so below is a guide to ensuring that your content is suitable.

How to calculate aspect ratio

To calculate the aspect ratio of an image in terms of pixels, you simply divide the width of the image by its height. For instance, if an image is 1920 pixels wide and 1080 pixels tall, you would divide 1920 by 1080.

Aspect ratio = width ÷ height

So, 1920 ÷ 1080 = 1.7777...

This simplifies to the common aspect ratio of 16:9.

Other examples are below:

1. 1280 pixels wide by 720 pixels tall: Aspect ratio = 1280 ÷ 720 = 1.7777... Simplified to 16:9
2. 800 pixels wide by 600 pixels tall: Aspect ratio = 800 ÷ 600 = 1.3333... Simplified to 4:3
3. 3840 pixels wide by 2160 pixels tall (4K resolution): Aspect ratio = 3840 ÷ 2160 = 1.7777... Simplified to 16:9

Alternatively, you can use this tool here!

What size does my content need to be?

Content doesn’t need to be a particular aspect ratio, it just needs to fall within a certain range. Note that all Instagram video content is now posted as a reel. Video aspect ratios other than 9:16 are accepted but will be cropped to fit by Instagram. Therefore we recommend using 9:16 for all video content.

How to reduce the size of an attachment?

If your attachment exceeds the size limits for your caption, you will receive a notification before it can be scheduled. Each platform enforces its own restrictions on file sizes for images, videos, and PDFs, and we cannot bypass these limitations.

To successfully attach your caption with the file, please follow the steps outlined below to reduce the size of your attachment. These instructions are applicable for both Mac and Windows users.

For JPEG or PNG Files:

1. Go to TinyPNG.com.
2. Drag and drop your JPEG or PNG image into the upload area, or click to upload it manually.
3. TinyPNG will automatically compress the file for you.
4. Once the compression is done, click Download to save the optimized image.

Note: TinyPNG supports up to 20 images at a time, with a max size of 5 MB per image. For larger batches or bigger files, you can opt for their paid service.