Don’t you hate when you post something awesome on Instagram and then the cover photo doesn't look right on your feed view, or the text on your Reel gets cut off, or your video looks blurry and you aren't sure why?
Creating your posts in the correct size for each Instagram feature will fix these problems and help you to create better quality content.
That's why I've created you a handy sizing guide for every type of content on Instagram (Reels, Video, Feed, Stories, Live) — so you never have to google search for the sizes again!
Grab the 2022 Instagram Image, Reels and Video Size Guide below.
Table of Contents
- Instagram Size Guide for Feed Posts
- Instagram Size Guide for Reels & Stories
- Instagram Size Guide for Video & Live
- Instagram Size Guide for Instagram Profile Picture
Why Using Correct Content Size is Important for Your Church
With over one billion monthly users and 63% of those users logging in at least once per day, it’s worth creating the best Instagram feed you can for your church.
Even if you don’t have "professional" photos, videos, captions, and design skills using Instagram’s features correctly and maximizing the real estate you have in each Instagram feature will go a LONG way.
Plus, using Instagram the way it's meant to be used will boost your church's credibility online.
It's not a good look when you go to a church Instagram feed and the photos are blurry, people’s heads are cut off and you can't read the text.
The Basics of Image Resolution and Aspect Ratio
Resolution
This is how many pixels are displayed per inch of an image or video on a screen. The Image resolution will determine if your photo/video is blurry or sharp.
The width will always be displayed first.
For example: 1080px x 1920px is much larger than 72px x 72px.
Aspect Ratio
This is the ratio between the image or video's width and height. For example 1:1 is a square and 9x16 is an Instagram Story. The aspect ratio will determine if your image fits correctly in the allotted space and doesn’t get cut off.
Instagram only allows photos and videos with a minimum resolution of 320px wide, and a maximum resolution of 1080px wide.
This means Instagram will scale down any posts with a higher resolution, and scale up anything with a lower resolution — both of which impact the quality.
This is why it’s important to upload them at an optimal resolution and aspect ratio to begin with.
Keep reading to learn the correct sizing for each Instagram feature.
Instagram Size Guide for Feed Posts - Image, Carousel, and Video
Feed Posts: Photo & Carousel
Feed posts can be square, horizontal or vertical.
Square posts are 1:1 ratio and should have 1080x1080 resolution. Instagram will then display your image at 600px x 600px.
Landscape Images are 1.91:1 or a max of 16:9 and should have a 1080px x 607px resolution.
Portrait images are 4:5 and a resolution of 1080px x 1350px. Portrait images take up more real estate when you are scrolling through the Home and Explore Feed, so it is best to choose portrait over a square feed post. It will fill up a users entire phone screen and will be more likely to catch their attention.
Remember with portrait images that Instagram will crop your portrait image to a square automatically for your Instagram Feed — so make sure any text, faces or important features are in the middle of the portrait image (see image below with the red square).
Carousel posts follow the same format. Keep in mind whatever sizing you choose for your first post in the carousel because the rest of your photos or videos in the carousel will be cropped to that same size.
This means, that you need all your carousel photos to be the same size, whether, square, horizontal or vertical.
The max image size is 30mg and the file format should be .png or jpg.
Feed Posts: Video
Video posts can also be square, horizontal or vertical.
Square Video posts are 1:1 ratio and 1080px by 1080px.
Horizontal video posts best at 16:9 and the ideal resolution is 1080px x 607px.
You can get close by recording your video in 720p. Most phones record natively in 16:9 aspect ratio so it's best to do 16:9 and keep it simple.
Vertical video posts are 4:5 and the best is 1080px x 1350px
The file size can be a max of 4gb.
Instagram Sizing for Reels & Stories
Reels should all be vertical video at a 9:16 aspect ratio. Now here’s where it gets tricky. If you put text on your Reel you’ll want to make sure when it is viewed on the Home or Explore Feed at a 4:5 ratio, the text is not cut off.
Also, when you view a Reel in the Reels Feed, the caption will be at the bottom of the screen, so you’ll want to keep text out of that section as well. When you create your Reel you will see faint outlines of the caption/like button etc. so you can make sure your text is legible.
Make sure all your text is within the center square in the pic below.
The cover photo should also be 9:16 (vertical) and whatever you want to show up on your feed should be in that same square.
You can also adjust the image up and down and pick the exact part that you want to show up on your Instagram Feed.
If you’d like to choose from your Reel video, make sure to film the Reel far away enough so that the face of the person is not too close up.
The best story size is 9:16 aspect ratio and 1080px x 1920px resolution. Avoid posting horizontal photos or videos (even if you add a background) in your stories because they don't take up the full screen and are not as visually appealing.
Instagram Sizing for Video + Live
Instagram Video should be vertical to take up the most real estate on the screen. Make sure your main content in the frame is in the center of the 9:16 video so that when it shows up on the Home Feed at 4:5, there is no awkward cropping.
For vertical video (9:16), the ideal size is 1080px by 1920px.
If you plan on sharing a preview of your video to your Instagram feed, which is important to always do to boost it's visibility, it’s important to consider how your cover photo will look both in the Instagram home feed (4:5) and in the Instagram profile grid (cropped to 1:1).
You can't edit the cover photo after it is published, so you got to get it right the first time.
Make sure your text and people’s faces are in the center red square in the example.
You can upload a cover photo or use one from your video. You're able to edit what people will see in the Feed and adjust your photo up and down.
Instagram Live is natively vertical 9:16 with comments and hearts at the bottom. So it’s best to film vertically, not horizontally.
Instagram Sizing for Instagram Profile Picture
Your profile picture is the first image people see when coming to your church Instagram profile. It’s worth making the size and resolution perfect.
For profile pictures, Instagram recommends 110px x 110px as the best resolution for your profile picture, though a maximum resolution of 180px x 180px is supported.
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