I know, I know. Instagram is a beast that can feel impossible to conquer. With a constantly changing algorithm and constantly changing trends, it can be super hard to keep up with it all. Luckily, there’s one thing about Instagram that doesn’t change too often: the functionality of the app itself. Sure, there are major updates and new features released every once in a while, but the basic specs stay relatively unaltered.

This post is a super quick guide on how to design for Instagram. It includes dimension and sizing guidelines for feed posts, IG stories, IGTV, Reels, and other basic information I think you may find helpful.

The Basics

Let’s start with the basics, shall we?

When designing for Instagram, always keep in mind that people will be looking at your work on their phones, so a font size that seems perfect when you’re on your laptop cranking out graphics may be too large or small for viewing on a mobile device.

Also, people aren’t just going to be looking at your posts when they come up in their feed– many people will look at your profile as well. You need to make sure your design language is consistent across each of your posts. Using the same colors, fonts, and/or photo filters will create a cohesive look and solidify your branding. If you want to get really fancy, you can alternate types of posts (graphics, photos, etc.) to create a tiled effect, post 3 similar photos so each row in your grid is its own mini-series, etc.

And as always, make sure there is intention behind every photo and graphic you post. While aesthetics are important, purpose is too. If you have a pretty picture but no clear message, chances are it won’t convert as much as you’d like it to. Instagram may change a lot, but fundamental design principles (line, color, texture, size, space, value, shape, etc.) never do!

Okay, now on to the numbers.

Posts

There are 3 types of post sizes you’ll see when scrolling through your main feed: landscape, portrait, and the classic square. Because Instagram will crop images that are larger than it’s aspect ratio, it’s important to size your images correctly so that your audience is seeing all the great content you’re creating as it is meant to be seen.

For landscape images, you want to keep the aspect ratio at 1.91:1. But since everything is more confusing with decimals, let’s keep it simple: the ideal size is 1080 x 608px (pixels).

The ideal aspect ratio for portrait images is 4:5, or 1080 x 1350px.

And for the classic square, the aspect ratio is 1:1 with recommended dimensions of 1080 x 1080.

For video posts, use the same dimensions and aspect ratios as landscape and portrait photo posts.

Stories

In terms of sizing, stories may the most versatile. The app can support images and videos with aspect ratios between 1.91:1 and 9:16. However, the rule of thumb is to keep things between 1080 x 1350px and 1080 x 1920px.

IGTV

This is where things get a tad complicated. IGTV supports a variety of content in both horizontal and vertical orientations, but compresses cover photos in two different ways. It can be difficult to optimize a design to fit into all these boxes, but it’s still very doable.

First, you can have both horizontal and vertical videos on IGTV. For a vertical video, use a 9:16 aspect ratio (1080 x 1920px). For a horizontal video, just flip flop all those numbers for a 16:9 clip.

Okay, now on to cover photos. Instagram has recommended 420 x 654px dimensions– an aspect ratio of 1:1.55. When IGTV videos appear in your feed, they are cropped to be 4:5. BUT when they appear on your profile grid, the cover photo will be a 1:1 square. A simple way to make a cover photo that fits well in both places is to use a 4:5 size and put the content you want visible on your profile inside a square in the center. This way, nothing will get cropped in weird places when you share your IGTV video to your feed.

Reels

Similar to IGTV, Reels are shot vertically in a 9:16 aspect ratio, but when they are shared to your feed, they are cropped down to 4:5. So, if you’re planning on adding text to your Reels, be sure to keep them within the 4:5 aspect ratio!

Designing for Instagram may seem challenging since it changes so rapidly, but just remember that fundamental design principles and basic dimensions are consistent. If you do your market research, co-create with your audience, and stay consistent with your branding, you’ll be successfully designing impactful Instagram content.

Sources: Later and Color Me Courtney