When it comes to choosing the right aspect ratio for images and videos on LinkedIn, there are a few key factors to consider. The aspect ratio you select can impact how your visual content is displayed across different devices and platforms. In this article, we’ll break down the recommended aspect ratios for LinkedIn to help you create optimized visual assets.
The Importance of Aspect Ratio for LinkedIn
Aspect ratio refers to the proportional relationship between the width and height of an image or video. On LinkedIn, there are primarily two places where aspect ratio comes into play:
- Profile/Cover Images – The profile picture and cover image that represent your personal or company brand.
- Shared visual content – Photos, graphics, and videos that you post to your LinkedIn feed or share on other users’ posts.
Having the right aspect ratio ensures your visual content will look great across different interfaces. If the aspect ratio is off, images may appear stretched, squished, or cropped unexpectedly. This can detract from your professional brand or disrupt the viewing experience.
Aspect ratio also impacts how visual content is displayed across devices. With so many people accessing LinkedIn on mobile, you’ll want to make sure your images and videos render properly on smaller screens.
In addition, aspect ratio can play a role in the file size of images. Images with standard web aspect ratios tend to have smaller file sizes, which helps them load faster. Larger or more complex aspect ratios can result in larger file sizes that are slower to load.
Recommended Aspect Ratios
So what are the recommended aspect ratios to use for LinkedIn?
1. 1:1
A 1:1 square aspect ratio is ideal for profile pictures and icons on LinkedIn. At just 100 x 100 px, profile images are displayed in a perfect square. A 1:1 ratio ensures the profile photo will fill the allocated space cleanly.
Square images also work nicely for simple graphics, illustrations, and other visuals you may share directly in your feed posts. They take up a standard, compact area that fits well into LinkedIn’s column-based content width.
2. 16:9
A 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio is recommended for LinkedIn cover images. At 1584 x 396 px, LinkedIn cover photos display in a horizontal rectangular shape. Using a 16:9 ratio will prevent unwanted cropping by filling the cover image space completely.
For videos, 16:9 is also the standard widescreen aspect ratio. Recording natively at 1920×1080 or 1280×720 will display full screen on most devices and platforms.
3. 4:3
Sometimes a vertical 4:3 aspect ratio makes sense for photographs and other images you may share directly in your posts or updates. At 1200 x 1600 px, these images will take up more vertical space while falling comfortably within LinkedIn’s standard content width.
Just keep in mind that images wider than 16:9 or taller than 4:3 may be automatically cropped by LinkedIn to fit the content column.
4. 2:3
A 2:3 aspect ratio is another vertical-friendly option for images and graphics. At 800 x 1200px, 2:3 images are taller than they are wide, allowing them to take up more vertical space in the content feed. This makes 2:3 a nice in-between ratio compared to 1:1 and 4:3.
Tips for Optimizing Aspect Ratios
Here are some quick tips to optimize the aspect ratios for your LinkedIn visual content:
- Use image editing software to view and adjust aspect ratios.
- Crop images to desired ratios instead of stretching.
- Set custom image sizes when exporting graphics.
- Record videos natively at 16:9 HD resolutions.
- Double check the rendered aspect ratio before publishing.
- Use multiple aspect ratios for different content types.
The Bottom Line
Sticking to the recommended aspect ratios will ensure your LinkedIn photos, graphics, and videos look their absolute best.
For profile images and icons, the 1:1 square ratio displays cleanly. For cover images, 16:9 widescreen fills the horizontal banner space. Inside feed posts, 4:3 and 2:3 ratios work nicely for vertical images. And for video, 16:9 HD is the standard format.
By optimizing your visual assets for LinkedIn’s interface, you’ll provide the ideal viewing experience on any device while reinforcing your professional brand.
Simply keep these best practices for aspect ratios in mind as you create and curate visual content. Your followers will thank you with more likes, comments, and shares!
Maximize the impact of your LinkedIn posts with visually stunning content adapted for the platform. Let aspect ratio be your guide to engaging social media success.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the standard aspect ratio for LinkedIn images?
The main aspect ratios used on LinkedIn are:
- 1:1 for profile pictures
- 16:9 for cover images
- 4:3 or 2:3 for shared photo content
What size should a LinkedIn profile picture be?
LinkedIn profile pictures display at 100 x 100 pixels, a perfect 1:1 square. For best quality, upload an image that is at least 400 x 400 px.
What size should a LinkedIn cover image be?
LinkedIn cover images display at 1584 x 396 px. For best results, upload a high quality image with an aspect ratio of 16:9 at least 2120 x 1192 px in size.
What size should a LinkedIn post image be?
For clean display within LinkedIn’s content feed, aim for image dimensions around 1200 x 1600 px (4:3 ratio) or 800 x 1200 px (2:3 ratio).
Can I crop a photo to fit a specific aspect ratio?
Yes, you can use photo editing software to crop images to desired ratios like 1:1, 4:3, 16:9, etc. This allows you to tailor the image to LinkedIn’s layout.
What aspect ratio should LinkedIn videos be?
For LinkedIn videos, stick to the standard 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio. Record or export your videos at HD resolutions like 1920×1080 or 1280×720 for best quality.
Conclusion
Optimizing the aspect ratio of your visual content is key to excellence on LinkedIn. By following the recommended ratios for profile images, cover photos, shared images, and video, you can create an engaging experience for your connections. Keep these best practices in mind as you manage your LinkedIn presence.