# Common Image Dimensions Cheat Sheet (Web, Social, Video, Print)

The short version: **web share images are built around 1200×630, phone feeds around 1080-wide portrait, full-screen vertical video at 1080×1920, HD video at 1920×1080, and printed photos at inches × PPI (300 the usual target).** The tables below split what platforms actually publish from what the industry merely repeats, and the print section shows the arithmetic.

## TOC

1.  [Four terms that get mixed up](#four-terms-that-get-mixed-up)
    
2.  [Web](#web)
    
3.  [Social media](#social-media)
    
4.  [Video](#video)
    
5.  [Print: pixels = inches × PPI](#print-pixels-inches-ppi)
    
6.  [Checking a file you already have](#checking-a-file-you-already-have)
    

Throughout, each row is labeled:

*   **\[Official\]** — published by the platform or standards body itself, checked for this article.
    
*   **\[Convention\]** — widely used numbers that no standard publishes. Treat as safe defaults, not requirements.
    
*   **\[Example\]** — an illustration of the arithmetic, not a spec.
    

## Four terms that get mixed up

| Term | What it measures | Unit | Example |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Aspect ratio** | Shape only: width divided by height | none (or colon form) | 1920×​1080 → 16:9 |
| **Pixel dimen​sions** | How much detail the file holds | pixels | 1920×​1080 (2,073,600 pixels) |
| **PPI** | Pixel density of a digital image or display | pixels per inch | a 2400-pixel-​wide image shown at 8 in → 300 PPI |
| **DPI** | Ink dots a printer places on paper | dots per inch | printer hardware setting, e.g. 1440×​720 |

Aspect ratio is the one property that survives a resize: a 16:9 frame stays 16:9 whether it holds 1920×1080 pixels or 3840×2160. Our guide to [common aspect ratios](https://ratio-and-resolution.hashnode.dev/common-aspect-ratios) covers the familiar formats and where each one is used.

PPI and DPI are not interchangeable. Adobe puts it plainly: DPI measures physical ink dots in print, PPI measures pixels in the digital original — "DPI as the print output, and PPI as the digital input." The U.S. federal digitization guidelines (FADGI) went further in their 2023 edition and replaced "dpi" with "ppi" throughout, to keep the two measures apart. Vendors still label settings "dpi" out of habit: Epson's scan guide gives resolution in dpi while describing the pixels it captures.

One trap follows: a file's pixel count is fixed; the PPI value stored alongside it is only a label for intended print scale. Calling an 800-pixel image "300 dpi" does not add pixels. The real density at any print size is pixels ÷ inches, which is the calculation at the end of this article.

## Web

| Use | Dimensions | Ratio | Status |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Share/​preview card (`og:image`) | 1200×​630 | 1.905:1 | **\[Conven​tion\]** — the Open Graph protocol itself defines only that `og:image` is a URL, with optional width/​height properties; it prescribes no pixel size. 1200×​630 is the default because Meta's developer docs call for "at least 1200 x 630 pixels" on link-​share images, kept "as close to 1.91:1 as possible". |
| LinkedIn link preview in a page post | 1200×​627 | 1.91:1 | **\[Official\]** — LinkedIn's help center states "Use a 1.91:1 ratio (1200 x 627 pixels)" and notes images under 200 px wide fall back to a thumbnail; other ratios appear in full with white padding on mobile. |
| Hero / banner back​grounds | 1920×​1080 or 2560 wide | 16:9 or wider | **\[Conven​tion\]** — sized to cover common laptop viewports; no standard exists. |
| Images inside articles | 800–1200 wide | any | **\[Conven​tion\]** — match your content column; declare width and height so the page does not jump while loading (CSS `aspect-​ratio` does the same for boxes and embeds). |

Why 1200×630: it clears every consumer's minimum — Meta's own floor for link-share images is 600×315 — and the few pixels of difference between consumers (LinkedIn's 1200×627, Meta's 1.91:1) never show at preview scale. Ship 1200×630 and keep the text in the center band.

## Social media

Checked against each platform's own help pages on 2026-10-09. Anything the platform does not publish is marked as convention.

### Instagram

| Surface | Dimensions / ratio | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Feed photo, kept un​cropped | Width 320–1080 px; aspect ratio between 1.91:1 and 3:4 — at 1080 wide, height 566–1440 | **\[Official\]** Insta​gram Help: "we keep that photo at its original resolution as long as the photo's aspect ratio is between 1.91:1 and 3:4 (a width of 1080 pixels with a height between 566 and 1440 pixels)" |
| Feed photo, standard portrait export | 1080×​1350 (4:5) | **\[Conven​tion\]** sits inside the official range; the most circulated portrait size |
| Feed photo, tall portrait export | 1080×​1440 (3:4) | **\[Official\]** exactly the 3:4 upper bound Insta​gram documents |
| Reels | Aspect ratio 1.91:1 to 9:16; minimum 720 px, 30 fps; 1080×​1920 is the full-​screen case | **\[Official\]** Insta​gram Help, Reel size & aspect ratios |
| Reels cover | 420×​654 (≈1:1.56) | **\[Official\]** as published on the same help page |

### Facebook

| Surface | Dimensions / ratio | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Feed images | "Ratios from 1.91:1 to 9:16 are supported for the Facebook Feed placement, but may be masked to 4:5"; desktop may show 1:1 with black bars | **\[Official\]** Meta Business Help: Design specifi​cations for Collabor​ative Ads |
| Ad place​ments (Stories and Reels rows) | 1.91:1, 16:9, 1:1, 4:5, 2:3, 9:16 — 9:16 carries "Recommen​ded for both images and videos" | **\[Official\]** Meta, "Aspect ratios supported by place​ments in Meta Ads Manager" |

### X (formerly Twitter)

| Surface | Dimensions / limits | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Photos | JPG, PNG, GIF or WEBP; images ≤ 5 MB, animated GIFs ≤ 15 MB | **\[Official\]** X API media best practices |
| Video | Recommen​ded 16:9 or 1:1; dimen​sions between 32×​32 and 1280×​1024; ≤ 60 fps; ≥ 0.5 s | **\[Official\]** X API media best practices |
| Ad images | 1.91:1 → 800×​418 · 1:1 → 1080×​1080 · 16:9 → 1920×​1080 · 9:16 → 1080×​1920 · 4:5 → 1440×​1800 · 2:3 → 1080×​1620 | **\[Official\]** X Business, creative ad specifi​cations |
| Feed display size ("1600×​900") | — | **\[Conven​tion\]** third-​party guides circulate this; X does not publish it |

### LinkedIn

| Surface | Dimensions / ratio | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Image attached to a page post with a URL | 1.91:1 (1200×​627), wider than 200 px | **\[Official\]** LinkedIn Help, image specifi​cations |
| Page logo | 400×​400 recommen​ded (268×​268 minimum) | **\[Official\]** same page |
| Page cover image | 1512×​256 | **\[Official\]** same page (PNG or JPEG, max 3 MB for all Page images) |
| Feed portrait posts (1080×​1350, 1080×​1080) | — | **\[Conven​tion\]** LinkedIn publishes no organic feed image sizes; these circulate from tool presets |

### Pinterest

| Surface | Dimensions / ratio | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Standard image Pin | 2:3 recommen​ded, 1000×​1500; pins taller than 2:3 may be cut off in feeds | **\[Official\]** Pinterest ad specs: "We recommend using a 2:3 aspect ratio, or 1000 x 1500 pixels" |
| File limits | PNG or JPEG; 20 MB max on web | **\[Official\]** Pinterest Pin specs |
| Full-​bleed video Pin | 9:16 / 1080×​1920; also accepts 1:2, 2:3, 3:4, 4:5, 1:1 | **\[Official\]** Pinterest Pin specs |

### YouTube

| Surface | Dimensions / ratio | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Video thumbnail | 3840×​2160 recommen​ded, 16:9; minimum width 640 px | **\[Official\]** YouTube Help, current guidance (older guides say 1280×​720 — super​seded) |
| Shorts thumbnail | 2160×​3840, 9:16; minimum height 640 px | **\[Official\]** same page |
| Podcast playlist cover | 1:1 | **\[Official\]** same page |
| Vertical-​video note | A 16:9 custom thumbnail on a vertical video is replaced by an auto-​generated 4:5 thumbnail on home/​explore/​subscrip​tion surfaces | **\[Official\]** same page |

## Video

| Format | Pixels | Aspect ratio | Status |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 720p (HD) | 1280×​720 | 16:9 | **\[Official\]** SMPTE UHDTV wall chart, "Television Resolu​tions" table |
| 1080p (Full HD) | 1920×​1080 | 16:9 | **\[Official\]** ITU-​R Rec. 709 common image format: 1920×​1080, 2,073,600 pixels |
| 2160p (4K UHD) | 3840×​2160 | 16:9 | **\[Official\]** ITU-​R BT.2020-2 footnote: "Both 3 840 × 2 160 and 7 680 × 4 320 systems of UHDTV"; SMPTE chart lists 2160p |
| 4320p (8K UHD) | 7680×​4320 | 16:9 | **\[Official\]** same ITU note and SMPTE chart |
| Full-​screen vertical | 1080×​1920 | 9:16 | **\[Conven​tion\]** the shared export size for Reels, Shorts and Stories; each platform's official minimums are lower (Insta​gram: 720 px) |

Pixel counts for orientation: 1920×1080 = 2,073,600 (2.07 MP); 3840×2160 = 8,294,400 (8.29 MP); 1080×1920 = 2,073,600 (same pixels as 1080p, turned 90°).

## Print: pixels = inches × PPI

Print has no fixed pixel size. It has paper sizes and a density you choose. The whole calculation is:

```plaintext
pixels on the long side = inches on that side × PPI
```

Worked examples at 300 PPI (the standard density for quality photo printing, per Adobe's PPI guide):

| Paper size | Size in inches | × 300 PPI | Pixels |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 4×​6 in | 4 × 6 | 4×​300, 6×​300 | **1200×​1800** |
| 5×​7 in | 5 × 7 | 5×​300, 7×​300 | **1500×​2100** |
| 8×​10 in | 8 × 10 | 8×​300, 10×​300 | **2400×​3000** (7.2 MP) |
| US Letter | 8.5 × 11 | 8.5×​300, 11×​300 | **2550×​3300** |

A4 is defined in millimetres, so convert first (25.4 mm = 1 in), then multiply:

```plaintext
210 mm ÷ 25.4 = 8.268 in      297 mm ÷ 25.4 = 11.693 in
8.268 × 300 = 2480.3 → 2480    11.693 × 300 = 3507.9 → 3508
```

| Paper size | At 150 PPI (screen/​approx​imate) | At 300 PPI (print quality) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A4 (210×​297 mm) | **1240×​1754** | **2480×​3508** |
| US Letter (8.5×​11 in) | **1275×​1650** | **2550×​3300** |

Run the arithmetic backwards and PPI becomes a check: a 2400×3000 file placed at 8×10 in is exactly 300 PPI (2400 ÷ 8 = 300). The same file at 16×20 in would be 150 PPI — fewer pixels per inch, visible softness at close range.

How much density is enough? The FADGI technical guidelines for cultural heritage scanning set performance levels at 300 ppi for basic capture and 400 ppi for the top tier, and note that an image captured at 400 ppi renders at true size when displayed or printed at 400 ppi. Epson's scan guidance puts everyday numbers at 96–200 dpi for screen use and 200–300 dpi for print and OCR. For commercial photo printing, 300 PPI is the standard target — a benchmark, not a universal requirement; what actually decides quality is pixels ÷ inches at the size you print. For archival document work, the FADGI top tier runs 400.

## Checking a file you already have

1.  **Read its pixel dimensions.** File properties on Windows/macOS, or open it in any image viewer: the width × height in pixels is the raw truth.
    
2.  **Get the ratio.** Divide width by height and reduce (1600÷900 = 1.778 → 16:9). The ratio tells you which crop family the file belongs to before any platform touches it.
    
3.  **Compute real PPI for a target print size.** Pixels ÷ inches — but only when the shapes match. A 1200×1800 photo (2:3) on a 4×6 in sheet (also 2:3) is a clean 300 PPI both ways. On an 8×10 in sheet (4:5) the two shapes disagree, so you must choose: **fit** the whole photo inside the frame (6.67×10 in, uniform 180 PPI, side margins); **fill** the frame (scale to 8×12 in, crop 2 in off the height, uniform 150 PPI); or **distort** it to exactly 8×10 — the only case where the two directions disagree (150 across, 180 down), which is what stretching looks like. Scaled correctly, an image has the same density across and down; two different numbers only appear when the shapes are forced to disagree.
    
4.  **Ignore the PPI label when judging sharpness.** It records intended scale, not content. Only the pixel count and the print size together determine what the reader sees.
    

Step 2 gets its own treatment in [the calculation guide with worked examples](https://ratio-and-resolution.hashnode.dev/how-to-calculate-aspect-ratio), which reduces a pair of dimensions with the greatest common divisor and shows how to back out the side you are missing.

## Sources

| # | Source | URL | Claims it supports |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | The Open Graph protocol | [Open Graph](https://ogp.me/) | `og:image` is a URL property; protocol defines no image size; `og:image​:width`/`height` exist |
| 2 | LinkedIn Help: Image specifi​cations for your LinkedIn Pages and Career Pages | [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a563309) | 1.91:1 (1200×​627) for URL posts; >200 px rule; white-​padding behavior; Page logo 400×​400, cover 1512×​256; PNG/​JPEG ≤3 MB |
| 3 | Insta​gram Help: Image resolution of photos you share | [Insta​gram](https://help.instagram.com/1631821640426723/) | Uncropped range 1.91:1–3:4; 1080 wide → height 566–1440 |
| 4 | Insta​gram Help: Reel size & aspect ratios | [Insta​gram](https://help.instagram.com/1038071743007909) | Reels 1.91:1–9:16, min 720 px/​30 fps; cover 420×​654 |
| 5 | Meta Business Help: Aspect ratios supported by place​ments in Meta Ads Manager | [Meta](https://www.facebook.com/business/help/682655495435254) | Column heads 1.91:1, 16:9, 1:1, 4:5, 2:3, 9:16; "Recommen​ded for both images and videos" in the 9:16 column on the Stories and Reels rows |
| 6 | Meta Business Help: Design specifi​cations for Collabor​ative Ads | [Meta](https://www.facebook.com/business/help/3629307010514546) | "Ratios from 1.91:1 to 9:16 are supported for the Facebook Feed placement, but may be masked to 4:5"; desktop may show 1:1 with black bars |
| 7 | X Developer Platform: media best practices | [X](https://docs.x.com/x-api/media/quickstart/best-practices) | Image ≤5 MB, GIF ≤15 MB, formats; video 16:9/​1:1, 32×​32–1280×​1024, ≤60 fps |
| 8 | X Business: Creative ad specifi​cations | [X Business](https://business.x.com/en/help/campaign-setup/creative-ad-specifications) | Ad ratios: 800×​418 (1.91:1), 1080×​1080, 1920×​1080, 1080×​1920, 1440×​1800, 1080×​1620 |
| 9 | Pinterest Business: Review ad specs | [Pinterest](https://help.pinterest.com/en/business/article/pinterest-product-specs) | "2:3 aspect ratio, or 1000 x 1500 pixels"; PNG/​JPEG; 20 MB web |
| 10 | Pinterest Help: Review Pin specs | [Pinterest](https://help.pinterest.com/en/article/review-pin-specs) | Video: 9:16/​1080×​1920 full-​bleed; also 1:2, 2:3, 3:4, 4:5, 1:1 |
| 11 | YouTube Help: Add custom thumbnails | [YouTube](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/72431) | 3840×​2160 (16:9) rec, min 640 wide; Shorts 2160×​3840; podcast 1:1; 4:5 auto-​thumbnail note |
| 12 | ITU-​R: Recommen​dation BT.709 | [ITU-​R](https://www.itu.int/rec/R-REC-BT.709) | HDTV standard (16:9) |
| 13 | Wikipedia: Rec. 709 (citing ITU-​R BT.709-6) | [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITU-R%5FBT.709) | 1920×​1080 = 2,073,600 pixels, 16:9 |
| 14 | ITU-​R: Recommen​dation BT.2020-2 (PDF) | [ITU-​R PDF](https://www.itu.int/dms%5Fpubrec/itu-r/rec/bt/R-REC-BT.2020-2-201510-I!!PDF-E.pdf) | "Both 3 840 × 2 160 and 7 680 × 4 320 systems of UHDTV" |
| 15 | SMPTE UHDTV wall chart (PDF) | [SMPTE PDF](https://www.smpte.org/hubfs/1554%5FSMPTE%5FWallchart%5Fv6.pdf) | 720p/​1080p/​2160p/​4320p resolution table |
| 16 | Adobe: Pixels per inch (PPI) guide | [Adobe](https://www.adobe.com/uk/creativecloud/photography/discover/pixels-per-inch-ppi-resolution.html) | PPI vs DPI ("print output" vs "digital input"); 300 PPI as print target; 1920×​1080 = 1080p |
| 17 | FADGI: Technical Guidelines for Digitizing Cultural Heritage Materials (3rd ed., 2023) | [FADGI PDF](https://www.digitizationguidelines.gov/guidelines/FADGI%20Technical%20Guidelines%20for%20Digitizing%20Cultural%20Heritage%20Materials%5F3rd%20Edition%5F05092023.pdf) | 300–400 ppi perfor​mance levels; ppi-​for-​dpi terminology change; 400 ppi true-​size rendering |
| 18 | Epson: Scan Resolution Guidelines | [Epson guide](https://files.support.epson.com/docid/cpd5/cpd59603/source/scanners/source/scanning%5Fsoftware/concepts/scan%5Fresolution%5Fguidelines%5Fescan2.html) | 96–200 dpi for screen, 200–300 dpi for print/​OCR |
| 19 | ISO 216:2007 | [ISO](https://www.iso.org/standard/36631.html) | A-​series paper sizes (A4 definition context for print section) |
| 20 | MDN: CSS `aspect-​ratio` | [MDN](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/aspect-ratio) | Reserving space by declared ratio in CSS |
| 21 | Meta for Developers: Images in Link Shares (updated 2026​-06-30) | [Meta dev](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/sharing/webmasters/images) | "at least 1200 x 630 pixels" recommen​ded; 600×​315 minimum for large images; 200×​200 floor; ≤8 MB; "close to 1.91:1" |

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