For most posts, make the image 1080 pixels wide and pick the shape: 1080 x 1440 for a 3:4 portrait, the tallest Instagram post size, or 1080 x 1350 for 4:5 if you might turn it into an ad later. Two rules from Instagram's Help Center decide everything else. Files wider than 1080 pixels are sized down to 1080, and shapes outside 1.91:1 to 3:4 are cropped. This page covers the pixel size of every common shape, Stories and Reels, the text margins Meta gives, and fixes for crops.
Instagram post size at a glance
The table lists the Instagram post size dimensions for the common shapes as of September 2026, each at Instagram's full width of 1080 pixels:
| Post type | Aspect ratio | Size in pixels | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tall portrait post | 3:4 | 1080 x 1440 | The tallest feed shape Instagram keeps without cropping |
| Portrait post | 4:5 | 1080 x 1350 | Also the tallest shape Meta allows for feed ads |
| Square post | 1:1 | 1080 x 1080 | Posts as it is, with nothing trimmed |
| Wide photo | 16:9 | 1080 x 608 | Inside the landscape limit, so it isn't cropped |
| Landscape post | 1.91:1 | 1080 x 566 | The widest feed shape Instagram keeps |
| Story | 9:16 | 1080 x 1920 | Meta recommends 1440 x 2560 for Story ads |
| Reel | 9:16 | 1080 x 1920 | Meta recommends 1440 x 2560 for Reels ads |
| Reel cover photo | About 1:1.55 | 420 x 654 | The cover size Instagram recommends |
| Carousel | One shape for every slide | Same as a single post in that shape | Up to 20 photos and videos |
To get the height for any shape, divide 1080 by the first number of the ratio and multiply by the second. For 4:5, 1080 divided by 4 is 270, and 270 times 5 is 1350.
What aspect ratio are Instagram posts?
Instagram feed posts can be any aspect ratio from 1.91:1 (landscape) to 3:4 (portrait). An aspect ratio compares width with height: 4:5 means 4 units wide for every 5 units tall, so a 4:5 image is a little taller than it is wide. Every shape between the two limits posts as it is, including 1:1, 4:5, 4:3 and 16:9.
Instagram crops a photo outside that range until its shape is one it supports. One example is a 9:16 graphic made for Stories and then posted to the feed: it's taller than 3:4, so Instagram trims the top and bottom. A panorama wider than 1.91:1 loses its sides instead.
Which Instagram post size ratio to pick
- 3:4 for the tallest post. At 1080 x 1440, a 3:4 post is 90 pixels taller than 4:5 and 360 pixels taller than a square at the same width, so it takes more of the screen as people scroll.
- 4:5 if the image might become an ad. Meta's ads guide limits Instagram feed ad images to shapes between 1.91:1 and 4:5 and recommends 1440 x 1800 pixels. A 3:4 post would have to be cropped first.
- 1:1 for images designed square. A logo card, a quote graphic or a product on a plain background often has nothing to gain from extra height.
- Landscape only for wide subjects. A 1.91:1 post is 566 pixels tall, well under half of a 3:4 post, so save it for a skyline or a long table setting.
Instagram post size in pixels: why 1080 wide
Instagram stores feed photos at up to 1080 pixels wide, and its Help Center gives three rules for width:
- Under 320 pixels wide: enlarged to 320 pixels, which looks soft.
- 320 to 1080 pixels wide: kept at its original resolution if the shape is in range.
- Over 1080 pixels wide: sized down to 1080 pixels.
So an image that's 1080 pixels wide or more, in a supported shape, posts at Instagram's full 1080-pixel width. A 4000-pixel-wide file won't look sharper in the feed than a 1080-pixel one, but the extra pixels give you room to crop before you upload. The rules are about the file, not your camera, so a screenshot of a photo posts at whatever size the screenshot is.
Instagram story size and ratio
Instagram Stories are 9:16, the shape of a phone screen held upright. At 1080 pixels wide, a Story is 1080 x 1920 pixels. For Story ads, Meta's ads guide recommends 1440 x 2560 pixels, the same 9:16 shape at a higher resolution, and a minimum width of 500 pixels.
Safe margins for text in a Story
Meta's ads guide suggests leaving the top 14%, the bottom 35% and 6% at both sides of a Story free of text and logos, so the profile icon and the call-to-action button don't cover them. On a 1080 x 1920 Story, that works out to:
| Edge | Share of the frame | Pixels to keep clear on 1080 x 1920 | Pixels to keep clear on 1440 x 2560 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top | 14% | About 270 | About 360 |
| Bottom | 35% | About 670 | About 900 |
| Left and right | 6% each | About 65 each | About 86 each |
That leaves a safe box of roughly 950 x 980 pixels on a 1080 x 1920 Story, starting about 270 pixels from the top. Put the headline, the date and any price inside it. Meta's Reels guidance gives the same margins and adds that they keep key parts away from the edges of phones with screens taller than 9:16.
Reels size
Reels fill the screen at 9:16, which is 1080 x 1920 at full width. Instagram's Help Center accepts reels in any shape from 1.91:1 to 9:16, at 30 frames per second or more and a resolution of at least 720 pixels. For the cover photo it recommends 420 x 654 pixels, and it says a cover currently can't be edited once the reel is up. Meta's Reels ad specs recommend 1440 x 2560 pixels in an MP4 or MOV file, with the same 14%, 35% and 6% margins. If you design a title card for the start of a Reel, keep its words inside that middle box for the same reason.
Carousel posts: one shape for every slide
A carousel holds up to 20 photos and videos in a single post. Instagram's Help Center says one orientation, square, portrait or landscape, covers every photo and video in the post, and you can't pick a different one per slide. Make every slide at the same size before you upload, for example all at 1080 x 1350. If one photo has a different shape, crop it yourself first so you decide what gets cut, not the app.
Common Instagram sizing mistakes
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Top and bottom cut off in the feed | The image is taller than 3:4, often a 9:16 Story graphic | Make a separate 3:4 or 4:5 version for the feed |
| Sides cut off | The image is wider than 1.91:1, like a panorama | Crop it to 16:9 or 1.91:1 before posting |
| The photo looks soft | The file is narrower than 1080 pixels, or a screenshot of a photo | Upload the original file at 1080 pixels wide or more |
| Text covered in a Story | Text sits in the top 14% or bottom 35% | Move it into the middle of the frame |
| A carousel slide is trimmed | The slides are different shapes | Crop every slide to the same shape first |
| A 3:4 post won't work as an ad | Feed ads allow shapes only up to 4:5 | Make a 4:5 copy for the ad |
How to make an image at the right size
To fix the shape of a photo you already have, crop it on your phone. On an iPhone, open the picture in Photos and go into edit mode, then the crop tool, where the presets button offers shapes such as Square and 9:16. In Google Photos on Android, tap Edit, then Crop, then Aspect ratio. Cropping cuts pixels away, so to reach a new shape without losing the edges, read how an AI aspect ratio changer reshapes a photo.
To make a new post at the right size, choose the shape before you create it. In Toybox AI:
- For a text-led post such as a sale, a class schedule or new hours, go to Flyer Maker, then type the exact wording into "Describe your flyer".
- Choose the shape under "Size". Portrait (4:5) is selected to begin with, and Tall (3:4) gives the tallest feed post. There's no square or 9:16 option in Flyer Maker.
- Pick the quality under "More options". At 1K, Portrait is 1024 x 1280 pixels, narrow enough that Instagram posts it at its own size. At 2K, Tall is 1536 x 2048 pixels, which Instagram sizes down to exactly 1080 x 1440.
- For a picture without much text, Image Generator offers Square 1:1, Portrait 3:4, Landscape 4:3 and Wide 16:9 for the feed, plus Story 9:16 for Stories.
- Proofread every date, price and name on a text post before you share it. A wrong detail on a flyer can be corrected by typing the fix into "Want to change something?" (currently 60 credits at 1K).
For post ideas and prompts you can run, read the guide to making Instagram posts with AI. For the sizes Meta recommends on Facebook Pages and events, see making a flyer for Facebook. If you plan to print a post as well, check how many pixels a print needs before you order.