LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 722 million users worldwide. Having an optimized LinkedIn profile is crucial for personal branding and establishing your professional online presence. One important optimization tip is to use high-quality profile and cover images. But with all the image formats and compression algorithms out there, what is the ideal image quality for LinkedIn?
In this comprehensive guide, we will examine the recommended image dimensions, file types, and compression levels to help you choose the best image quality for your LinkedIn profile. We will also look at tips to take optimized profile photos and tools to edit images for LinkedIn. By the end of this article, you will have a clear understanding of how to select the ideal images to make your LinkedIn profile stand out.
What are LinkedIn’s Image Requirements?
LinkedIn has specific requirements when it comes to image dimensions and file size for profile and cover photos. Here are the recommended image specs for LinkedIn:
Profile Photo
– Minimum size: 400 x 400 pixels
– Recommended size: 800 x 800 pixels
– Photo shape: Square
– File type: JPG or PNG
– File size: 8 MB maximum
Cover Photo
– Size: 1,584 x 396 pixels
– Photo shape: Landscape
– File type: JPG or PNG
– File size: 8 MB maximum
Sticking to these dimensions ensures your photos will look crisp and not pixelated on high-resolution displays. The recommended file formats of JPG and PNG preserve image quality while keeping file sizes reasonable.
What is the Best Image Quality for LinkedIn Profile Pictures?
For LinkedIn profile photos, aim for high-resolution images that are at least 800 x 800 pixels. Some tips for optimizing profile picture quality include:
Use High-Resolution Source Images
Start with a high-res photo with image dimensions of at least 1200 x 1200 pixels. This ensures that even when cropped and compressed for LinkedIn, your photo retains sharpness and clarity. Take the photo using the highest resolution setting on your smartphone or camera.
Maintain Aspect Ratio
When resizing your photo for LinkedIn, be sure to maintain the aspect ratio so the image does not appear stretched or warped. The profile photo must be perfectly square.
Use Lossless Image Compression
Save your profile photo as a PNG rather than JPG to preserve quality. PNG uses lossless compression so no data is lost when saving the file.
Apply Light Compression
If saving as JPG, use the highest quality setting when exporting the photo. Apply the minimum compression required to reduce the file size under 8 MB.
Upload High-Res Photo
Upload your largest high-quality photo to LinkedIn, even if it gets scaled down. Let LinkedIn do the resizing to display the best possible version of your photo in each context.
What About Cover Photos?
Your LinkedIn cover photo is a great way to showcase your profession and industry. Follow these tips for optimal cover image quality:
Custom Crop to Required Size
Don’t just resize your entire photo to fit the cover dimensions. Crop it to a specific section in the proper 1,584 x 396 pixel landscape ratio. Zoom and pan to focus on the most important visual.
Use High-Res Landscape Photo
Select a horizon landscape photo taken at the highest resolution. Landscape orientation matches the cover space better than portrait.
Enhance Brightness and Contrast
Increase brightness and boost contrast to make your cover photo colors and details pop. This helps it stand out on the profile.
Add Text Overlay (Optional)
Consider adding some text like your name, title or slogan over the cover image for a more complete branded effect.
Save as JPG
JPG is the best format for cover images. The compressed size is more optimized for fast loading than PNG.
| Photo Type | Minimum Size | Recommended Size | File Type | Max File Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profile Picture | 400 x 400 pixels | 800 x 800 pixels | JPG or PNG | 8 MB |
| Cover Photo | 1,584 x 396 pixels | – | JPG or PNG | 8 MB |
Tips for Taking Optimized Profile Photos
To take quality headshot photos suitable for your LinkedIn profile, keep these tips in mind:
Have a Clear, Uncluttered Background
Shoot against a plain wall or solid backdrop. Avoid busy backgrounds that distract.
Use Diffused Lighting
Position subject facing a window on an overcast day. Or use soft studio lighting. Avoid direct flash.
Maintain Good Posture
Sit up straight and bring the chin parallel to the ground. Lean slightly forward toward camera.
Make Good Eye Contact
Look directly into the camera lens with a natural gaze. Avoid staring.
Frame Subject Centrally
Leave equal space around head and shoulders. Crop in post for different ratios.
Shoot Multiple Angles
Take some vertical and straight-on shots. Provide options to choose the most flattering.
Photograph Face Clearly
Use sufficient depth of field so facial features remain sharp.
How to Edit Images for LinkedIn
After taking your profile and cover shots, you may need to edit them to look their best on LinkedIn. Here are some tips:
Crop and Recompose
Crop images to recommended dimensions. Tweak composition through close cropping.
Straighten Horizon
Use the rotate tools to level out skewed horizon lines on cover photos.
Adjust Exposure
Fix over or underexposed images. Boost contrast for more vibrant colors.
Sharpen Details
Selectively sharpen facial features and eyes for portrait shots to add clarity.
Reduce Noise
Minimize noise and graininess by applying noise reduction filters.
Remove Blemishes
Use cloning and healing tools to subtly remove skin imperfections. Don’t overdo retouching.
Convert Color Profile
Convert images to sRGB color profile for consistent color on LinkedIn.
Export and Optimize
Export final images as JPG or PNG with optimal settings for LinkedIn.
Tools to Edit Photos for LinkedIn
Here are some great photo editing tools for optimizing images for LinkedIn:
Adobe Photoshop
The leading professional image editing software with powerful tools for cropping, retouching, and exporting.
GIMP
Free open-source image editor with selection, layered editing, and color management tools.
Pixelmator
Full-featured image editing app for Mac with machine learning-enhanced tools.
PicMonkey
Online photo editor with templates and quick editing options for social media images.
Canva
Graphic design platform with drag-and-drop templates for easily creating social graphics.
ResizeImage
Quick freemium online resizing tool to crop and optimize images for specific dimensions.
Conclusion
Optimizing your LinkedIn profile and cover images is important for creating a polished professional presence. Use high-resolution photos sized at the recommended dimensions for crisp quality on all screens. Maintain the proper aspect ratio when cropping images to avoid distortion. Save photographs in JPG or PNG format with minimal compression. Take well-lit portrait shots against a clean background for your profile picture. For covers, select eye-catching landscape images that represent your industry. Edit photos to adjust color, brightness, crop, and retouch before exporting. With these best practices for choosing and editing photos, you can make your LinkedIn profile images look sharp, engaging and professional.
