Skip to the tutorial
lil cactus

How to size a photo for Instagram

Beginner6 minutesUpdated

Quick answer

Use a 1080 × 1440 px canvas for a 3:4 Instagram portrait post. In Lil Cactus, fit the photo inside those bounds with Image then Image Size… and the chain link on, then set Image then Canvas Size… to the target dimensions with the Center anchor. Export with File then Export then JPEG… at Quality 90; JPEG fills the empty canvas with white. For a square use 1080 × 1080 px; for a 9:16 Story use 1080 × 1920 px.

Three layouts of the same complete portrait: square on the left, a taller portrait in the middle and a narrow Story on the right, with white margins where needed
Square, 3:4 portrait and Story versions, left to right. Each keeps the whole photo.
Time
6 minutes
Level
Beginner
You need
A photo and a post or Story format
Works with
JPG, PNG, WebP and other images you can open
Open the sample in Lil CactusUse your own photo

Free, no sign-up. Your photo stays on your computer.

An aspect ratio describes shape as width to height: 3:4 is three units wide for every four high. The canvas is the image’s outer rectangle. Resize the photo to fit inside it, then add space around it. If you prefer the image to reach every edge, use the crop variation below.

The main example makes a portrait post. Choose another format from the size table and use the same method.

Fit the whole photo in four steps

  1. Open the photo

    Open the sample from this page, or use File then Open… for your photo.

  2. Resize the photo to fit

    Choose Image then Image Size… Turn Resample on, set Units to Pixels and make sure the chain link is on. Choose Bicubic Sharper as the resampling method.

    Start with your target Width. If the linked Height is too tall for your chosen canvas, enter the target height instead. For the portrait sample, finish with Height 1440: Width becomes 960. Click Resize.

    Image Size dialog with complete Width, Height, Units, chain, Resample row and Resize controls ringed; sample finishes at 960 by 1440 pixels
    The photo must fit within both canvas dimensions.

  3. Add the rest of the canvas

    Choose Image then Canvas Size… Enter the target width and height: 1080 and 1440 for this example. Leave the anchor on Center, the middle square, and click Resize. The added space appears as checkerboard in the editor.

    Canvas Size dialog with whole Width and Height fields at 1080 and 1440, Center anchor and Resize button ringed
    Center places the added space on opposite sides of the photo.

  4. Export the Instagram copy

    Choose File then Export then JPEG… Enter instagram-portrait.jpg in File name, set Quality to 90 and click Export. The empty margins become white in the JPEG.

    Use File then Save As then Lil Cactus Project… to retain this layout. File then Save then updates the project. While working from the original JPEG, File then Save writes the padded image back into the JPEG you opened, as a flat image; the first JPEG save opens Save Image. Export makes a separate image copy.

    Whole File name field and its label ringed, showing instagram-portrait.jpg
    Name the image copy.
    Whole Quality control showing 90 percent and Export button ringed
    Quality and Export are lower in the dialog.

Square, portrait and Story sizes

These working canvases all use a width of 1080 pixels. Sizes are width × height.

FormatCanvas in pixelsRatio
Square post1080 × 10801:1
Portrait post1080 × 14403:4
Portrait post (classic)1080 × 13504:5
Story1080 × 19209:16

As of October 2026, Instagram’s photo resolution guidance supports photo posts from 1.91:1 to 3:4, at up to 1080 pixels wide. Earlier guidance stopped at 4:5. The Story example uses the 9:16 shape in Meta’s Story design guidance.

Crop the photo to fill the frame

Open the original again from this page, or use File then Open… Choose Crop in the left toolbar. For a filled portrait, set Ratio to Custom, W to 3 and H to 4.

Drag a rectangle from just above the forehead to below the collarbones, leaving a little background at the sides. Drag inside the outline to shift it. Compare the framing with the figure, then click the checkmark (Apply crop). Cropping leaves out the area beyond the outline.

Choose Image then Image Size…, keep the chain on and set Width to 1080. The height follows the crop’s proportions. Click Resize, then export a JPEG as in step 4, named for example instagram-filled.jpg.

Whole Crop button ringed in the upper toolbar, alongside the document tab and canvas edge
Crop is the overlapping-corners icon.
Whole Ratio control set to Custom and complete W 3 and H 4 fields ringed
These W and H values set proportions, not output pixels.
Real Crop preview with the complete crop outline and its corner handles ringed from above the forehead to below the collarbones
The outline shows the part to keep.
Apply crop checkmark ringed in a wider options-bar strip with Shade, Delete cropped pixels, Straighten and Cancel
The checkmark applies the crop.
Image Size controls ringed after cropping, showing Width 1080 and Height 1440 with the chain on
Resize the cropped image to the output dimensions.

What to do next

Instagram image sizes: questions and answers

Can I still use 1080 × 1350 for an Instagram portrait post?

Yes. Its 4:5 shape remains inside Instagram’s supported photo post range. In Lil Cactus, use that canvas size for a 4:5 copy.

Can I use the same 9:16 image for a Story and a photo post?

Not without losing part of it. A 9:16 Story is taller than Instagram’s 3:4 photo post limit, so Instagram crops it. In Lil Cactus, make a separate post-sized copy.

Does an Instagram image need 300 DPI?

No. Instagram uses the pixel dimensions for the image size. In Lil Cactus, set Image Size in Pixels; the Resolution value can stay as it is.

Why does my resized Instagram photo look soft?

A small source or tight crop may need enlargement to reach your target dimensions. In Lil Cactus, Bicubic Sharper can resample those pixels, but cannot restore detail the source did not contain.

Why are my added margins transparent in a PNG?

In Lil Cactus, Canvas Size adds blank, transparent pixels. PNG preserves that transparency. The checkerboard is a display aid and is not part of the exported photo.

Published  · Last checked