Instagram Aspect Ratios: Feed, Carousel, Reel and Story Sizes

Feed and Carousel Dimensions

Instagram displays feed content in a 4:5 vertical rectangle. This ratio allows your image to occupy more of the viewer's screen than the traditional 1:1 square. If you upload a 1:1 image, Instagram adds white space above and below, reducing the visual impact. For carousels, every slide must adhere to the 4:5 ratio to maintain a consistent grid appearance. Mixing ratios within a single carousel causes uneven cropping, which can distract from the content. Design your templates at 1080 by 1350 pixels to ensure crisp quality on high-resolution displays. This size is the safest bet for brand consistency, as it fills the frame without relying on automatic cropping algorithms to guess your intent.

Stories and Reels Safe Areas

Stories and Reels use a 9:16 vertical format, typically 1080 by 1920 pixels. However, the interface overlays buttons and text fields that can obscure your content. The top 250 pixels and bottom 350 pixels are considered unsafe zones. Keep critical text, logos, or faces within the central 1320-pixel vertical strip. In Reels, the right-hand side is also occupied by interaction icons, so avoid placing essential information there. If you are repurposing landscape video, do not simply stretch it. Instead, use a blurred background or a solid colour to fill the vertical space, keeping the main action in the centre. This prevents awkward cropping that might cut off a subject's head or a key visual element.

Profile Grid Cropping Effects

Your profile page displays thumbnails in a 1:1 square grid, regardless of the original upload aspect ratio. A 4:5 feed post will be cropped to a square for the profile preview. This means the top and bottom 25% of your image is invisible on the profile grid. If your design relies on vertical space, ensure the focal point is centred. For carousels, only the first image appears in the grid. Subsequent slides are hidden until the user taps the post. Therefore, the first slide must be compelling enough to stop the scroll, while the remaining slides can use the full 4:5 canvas. Plan your visual hierarchy accordingly, treating the profile grid as a teaser and the feed post as the full experience.

Planning a Week of Content

• Set up a template library with 4:5 and 9:16 canvases.
• Mark safe zones on your design software to avoid UI overlap.
• Batch create assets for the week, ensuring all feed posts are 1080x1350.
• Review profile grid previews to check for unwanted cropping.

Once your assets are prepared, scheduling them in advance saves significant time. Instalaz is a tool for planning and scheduling Instagram posts, allowing you to organise a week of content in one sitting. It is currently on a waitlist and not open to everyone yet. For broader content workflows, you may find related guides at Pracandy studio notes.