Having an eye-catching and professional LinkedIn cover photo is crucial for making a great first impression and portraying your personal brand. With LinkedIn being used by over 740 million professionals worldwide, standing out from the crowd with your profile is key. When selecting a LinkedIn cover photo, one of the most important technical considerations is image resolution. Using the recommended resolution will ensure your photo looks sharp, clear and visually striking on all devices.
What is image resolution?
Image resolution refers to the amount of detail an image contains. It is measured in pixels, which are the tiny dots that make up a digital image. The more pixels in an image, the higher the resolution and level of detail. Resolution is commonly expressed as a set of numbers, such as 2048 x 1152 pixels, which indicates the image is 2048 pixels wide and 1152 pixels high. The total number of pixels in the image is found by multiplying the width and height dimensions.
Higher resolution images have more pixels crammed into the same sized space, resulting in more clarity and sharpness. Lower resolution images have fewer, larger pixels which can make the image look blurry or pixelated, especially when enlarged. resolution matters for LinkedIn covers is that it determines how crisp and clear the image will look on the varying screen sizes people will view it on.
LinkedIn Cover Photo Dimensions
LinkedIn specifies an exact size for cover photos: 1584 x 396 pixels. This relatively large, wide rectangle shape covers the top of your LinkedIn profile. With a 1584 pixel width, the cover photo is designed to span across desktop screens, tablets and mobile displays without awkward cropping or distortion. The 396 pixel height provides ample vertical space to feature your key messaging while aligning with the profile photo and header.
Recommended Resolution for LinkedIn Covers
To display properly across all devices, LinkedIn recommends cover photos have a minimum resolution of 300 dpi (dots per inch). This means that within every inch of the image, there are 300 pixels mapping the details. The higher dot density allows for sharp rendering on high resolution retina and 4K displays.
To hit this 300 dpi recommendation with the required 1584 x 396 pixel dimensions, the ideal resolution for your LinkedIn cover is:
4750 x 1184 pixels
This will provide a crisp, detailed image that takes full advantage of the available space. Lower resolutions like 1000 x 400 or 1280 x 720 will look noticeably blurred in comparison.
Image Size/File Size Considerations
In addition to resolution, the physical file size of your cover image matters too. Larger file sizes take longer to load and download for the viewer. LinkedIn limits cover photos to 8 MB maximum. With most photo formats like JPG and PNG, you’re unlikely to hit that limit with a properly resized photo at 4750 x 1184 pixels. Still, it’s a good rule of thumb to keep the file size under 2 MB whenever possible for fast performance.
To shrink a photo’s file size, you can optimize and adjust the compression in an image editor to reduce the quality slightly. Run some tests to find a good balance between small file size and high image quality.
How to Create a Cover Photo
To generate a LinkedIn cover that meets these ideal dimensions and resolution, you have a couple options:
1. Design from scratch
Create your cover in a graphic design program like Photoshop, Illustrator, Canva or Gimp. Set up your document to be 4750 x 1184 pixels at 300 dpi. Design your background, add images, text and graphical elements. Export the final design as a high quality JPG, PNG or GIF. This gives you full creative control over the look and content.
2. Resize and optimize an existing photo
Take a high quality photograph you want to use, and resize it to 4750 pixels wide. Use photo editing software like Photoshop to crop the image proportionally and adjust the resolution. Export the resized image with minimal compression to retain quality and details.
3. Use an online resizing/optimization tool
If you don’t have image software installed, there are many free online tools you can quickly use to resize photos to the correct LinkedIn cover dimensions. Upload your desired photo and set the new width to 4750 pixels. The height will adjust automatically to preserve aspect ratio. Export the resized image. Some handy tools include:
- PicResize
- ResizeImage.net
- Adobe Express
- Canva
Resolution Requirements for Other Social Networks
If creating social media graphics, keep in mind that each platform has different image dimension and resolution requirements. What works for LinkedIn likely won’t work for other sites without resizing and reformatting.
| Platform | Cover Photo Dimensions | Recommended Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| 820 x 312 pixels | At least 72 dpi | |
| 1500 x 500 pixels | 144 dpi | |
| YouTube | 2560 x 1440 pixels | Higher than 72 dpi |
| 1080 x 566 pixels | 72 dpi |
Tips for an Eye-Catching Cover
Beyond proper sizing and resolution, a few best practices will ensure your LinkedIn cover photo makes the right impression:
- Use high quality, eye-catching imagery that aligns with your personal brand or industry.
- Make sure important elements don’t get cropped on mobile screens. Centralize key points.
- Use minimal text. The cover should complement your name, headline and profile photo.
- Pick colors that stand out but are easy to read.
- Change it up seasonally or with major career changes.
- Use Canva, PIcMonkey, or other design tools for great templates.
Conclusion
A LinkedIn cover photo that meets the recommended 4750 x 1184 pixel size at a minimum of 300 dpi resolution will ensure maximum visual quality. This high resolution provides crisp details on any screen users view your profile on. Balancing quality with compressed file size keeps the image file under 2 MB for quick loading. With an eye-catching photo customized to your brand and professional goals, your LinkedIn cover will make your profile truly stand out.
