How do I make a LinkedIn banner in Photoshop?

LinkedIn banners are an important part of your LinkedIn profile branding and first impression. Your banner appears at the top of your LinkedIn profile page and is a great way to showcase your skills, experience, accomplishments, and personality.

Creating an eye-catching and professional LinkedIn banner in Photoshop is easier than you think! In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through the entire process step-by-step, from setting up your document to saving for the web. Whether you’re a beginner or advanced Photoshop user, you’ll learn how to craft a banner that makes your profile stand out.

What are the LinkedIn banner dimensions?

LinkedIn banners come in a few different sizes depending on the device being used to view your profile. Here are the recommended dimensions:

• Desktop banner: 1584 x 396 pixels
• Tablet banner: 1128 x 276 pixels
• Mobile banner: 568 x 146 pixels

To accommodate different devices, you’ll want to design your banner at the desktop size first. Then you can scale it down for tablet and mobile versions.

The most important thing is that your desktop banner must be less than 8MB in file size. Photoshop’s “Save for Web” function (which I’ll cover later) will optimize the file size.

How to set up your LinkedIn banner document in Photoshop

Let’s go through the steps to set up your Photoshop file for designing a LinkedIn banner:

1. Open Photoshop and go to File > New.
2. Name your file (e.g. “LinkedInBanner”).
3. For the Width, enter 1584 pixels. For the Height, enter 396 pixels.
4. Set the Resolution to 72 pixels/inch (this is standard for web graphics).
5. For Color Mode, choose RGB Color.
6. Select a white background to start.
7. Click OK to create your document.

You now have a Photoshop file set up with the correct desktop banner dimensions. Time to start designing!

Design considerations for an effective LinkedIn banner

Keep these design tips in mind as you create your LinkedIn banner in Photoshop:

• Use high-quality photos and graphics. Incorporate professional headshots, product photos, infographics, illustrations, or other visuals.
• Highlight your skills, experience, education, certifications, awards, publications, volunteer work, etc. Reinforce your personal brand.
• Make your name and title prominent. This is key for branding.
• Use minimal text. Aim for short impactful phrases instead of lengthy paragraphs.
• Make it skimmable. Viewers will quickly scan your banner so ensure key info stands out.
• Use bold contrasting colors. Vibrant hues attract more attention on busy LinkedIn pages.
• Add visual interest. Use shapes, lines, patterns and layers to create an eye-catching focal point.

Now let’s walk through a step-by-step tutorial on how to make a professional LinkedIn banner in Photoshop.

Step 1 – Add background image or color

First, you’ll want to customize the background of your document. You have a couple options:

• Solid color background: Select your color from the color picker or enter the specific RGB or Hex value. Use the Paint Bucket Tool to fill the entire canvas.
• Image background: Drag and drop your image onto the canvas. Position and scale it to fill the width. Right click the layer and select “Convert to Background.”

A vibrant background color instantly modernizes your banner. For best results, stick to your brand color palette.

You can also use a subtle pattern or texture. Make sure any background images aren’t too distracting.

Step 2 – Add profile photo

Your profile picture is key. Not only does it identify the account, but it also builds familiarity and trust with your connections.

To add your profile photo:

1. Open the photo file you want to use.
2. Use the Rectangular Marquee Tool to select the portion of the photo you want to keep.
3. Copy and paste the selection into your banner document.
4. Position it on the left side of the canvas.
5. Scale the photo layer until it’s an appropriate size. About 150 x 150 pixels is ideal.

Make sure you are selecting a high quality, professional-looking headshot. Position the photo with empty space around it for easier cropping.

You can use Photoshop’s liquify tools to touch up facial features like eyes, nose, and mouth so you look your best!

Step 3 – Add your name and title

Every LinkedIn banner should feature your name and job title prominently. This identifies who the profile belongs to.

To add text:

1. Select the Text Tool in the toolbar.
2. Click on your document and type your name.
3. Highlight the text layer in the Layers panel. Change the font, size, and color.
4. Resize and position the text next to your profile photo.
5. Duplicate the text layer to add additional lines like your job title.

For ideal visibility, your name should be 60-72pt font size. Use bold fonts and high contrast colors so the text pops. Add effects like drop shadow, outer glow or bevel for added dimension.

Step 4 – Include descriptive text

Next, you’ll want to add descriptive text that summarizes who you are or what you do. This gives viewers more context.

Here are some options for descriptive text:

• A tagline or slogan
• Your professional niche or area of expertise
• A brief career summary
• Your company and role
• Notable achievements or awards

Keep the text short and scannable – 1-3 lines at most. Use 24-32pt fonts for readability. Position the text to the right of your profile photo.

You can divide this section into columns for a structured look. Just use Photoshop’s Rectangular Marquee Tool before creating new text layers.

Step 5 – Incorporate visual elements

Visuals are critical for an eye-catching LinkedIn banner. Infographics, icons, illustrations and photos can quickly convey information while making your design more polished.

Here are some visual elements to try:

• Your company logo or brand symbols.
• Icons representing your skills, interests or credentials.
• Charts and graphs summarizing your LinkedIn analytics or successes.
• Illustrations of yourself, your job, or industry.
• Photos of products you’ve created, work projects, etc.

Access thousands of free icons, illustrations, shapes and photos by searching online or using built-in Photoshop assets.

Creatively layer and arrange visuals over your background. Use alignment and distribution tools to organize.

Step 6 – Finish with additional details

Use the empty space on your banner to highlight other information about your brand, skills, experience, etc.

Some elements you can add:

• Contact info – email, phone number, personal website.
• Social media icons linked to your profiles.
• Specific areas of expertise tailored to your industry.
• Notable clients, projects, publications or press mentions.

Keep sizing and positioning in mind so text and objects don’t get crammed. Spread out details evenly for the best aesthetic.

Aim for clean and simplistic. Avoid a cluttered look by only including the most important details. Less is more!

Step 7 – Check responsiveness

Since LinkedIn banners display on desktop, tablet and mobile, you’ll need to evaluate how your design responds across screen sizes.

Here’s how to preview responsiveness in Photoshop:

1. Click the Home tab and select “Create New Artboard.”
2. Enter the tablet (1128 x 276 px) and mobile (568 x 146 px) banner dimensions.
3. Drag your entire design over to fill each artboard.
4. Use Photoshop tools to rearrange or scale elements as needed.

Focus readability on key info like your name, title and tagline. Crop or hide extras details for smaller sizes if necessary.

Double check the visual hierarchy to make your message clear regardless of screen size. Adjust as needed.

Step 8 – Add effects and final touches

The last step is to polish up your design with visual effects and finishing details:

• Effects: Drop shadows, outer glow, inner glow, gradient overlays, color overlays and stroke.
• Posterize: Simplifies gradients into distinct bands of color.
• Texture: Add canvas, paper or other textures for depth.
• Noise: Subtle noise creates movement for photos.
• Lighting: Adjust brightness, contrast, exposure and highlights.

Refinements like edge smoothing, sharpening, cropping and straightening can make a big difference. But only use effects sparingly to avoid visual clutter.

Double check alignment, overlap and spacing of all elements before exporting.

How to export your LinkedIn banner

Once your LinkedIn banner design is complete, you’ll need to export it for the web:

1. Go to File > Export > Save for Web (Legacy).
2. Select PNG format and make sure Transparency is checked.
3. Adjust settings to optimize the file size under 100 KB if possible.
4. Hit Save and close the dialog box.

This will generate a web-ready version of your banner with a transparent background. The PNG format preserves image quality.

You can now upload your exported banner directly to your LinkedIn profile. Just go to the “Banner photo” section under “Details”.

Conclusion

Creating a custom LinkedIn banner in Photoshop takes your profile to the next level. You can showcase your unique personal brand while standing out from the crowd.

Follow this step-by-step tutorial to design a beautiful, professional banner that engages your LinkedIn connections.

The most important tips for LinkedIn banner success:

• Use quality visuals like your profile photo, logos and graphics.
• Make your name and title prominent.
• Highlight your skills, experience and credentials.
• Keep text short, scannable and legible.
• Check responsiveness across device sizes.
• Add visual interest with color, effects and polish.

With your new custom banner, your LinkedIn profile becomes memorable while conveying your personal brand. Now get out there and start connecting!