What a 1080 × 1080 image is for
1080 × 1080 pixels is a square at 1:1, and it is the working size for square posts on Instagram and Facebook. A 1080-pixel width is also the width those platforms use for feed images, so a square at that size is shown without being scaled up or down much. It is a handy default for profile art, product tiles, carousel slides and any layout that has to look the same in a grid.
Getting a square without distorting the picture
Most photos are not square, so something has to give. There are two honest ways to do it, and one dishonest one:
- Crop to a square. You lose the edges but keep the subject at full size. Best for portraits and products, where you choose what stays.
- Fit with padding. The whole picture stays visible with empty bars on two sides. Best when nothing can be cut off, such as a poster or a screenshot.
- Stretch to fit. This squashes everything and makes faces look wrong. Avoid it.
Drop your image on this page: the 1080 × 1080 target is already on, and you can place the crop before the final size is applied.
Size versus sharpness
Making a small image bigger does not add detail. A 500 × 500 picture enlarged to 1080 × 1080 is the same information spread thinner, and it will look soft. Start from an original at least as large as the target. If yours is smaller, it is better to post it at its real size than to inflate it. Shrinking an oversized image to 1080 × 1080 is fine and usually looks very crisp.
Keeping the file light
Platforms recompress what you upload, so a huge file does not give a better result. A 1080 × 1080 JPG of around 200–400 KB is plenty for most posts. If you want a smaller file, add a size target in the same pass, or see compress to 200 KB. For the other formats Instagram uses, see the Instagram photo size guide.
Platforms revise their recommendations from time to time. If exact dimensions matter for an ad or a campaign, check the platform’s own help page.