Carousel posts have become a popular way for brands and influencers to share multiple images and videos in a single post on social media. The carousel format allows users to swipe through the media, creating an engaging experience for viewers.
When creating carousel posts, it’s important to use the optimal image sizes for each platform. This ensures your images look crisp and clear on all devices. Using the standard carousel sizes also helps your posts take up the appropriate amount of screen real estate.
In this article, we’ll break down the ideal carousel post dimensions for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. Read on for the specs you need to design eye-catching carousel posts.
Facebook Carousel Post Sizes
Facebook carousel posts can include between 2-10 images or videos. Unlike other platforms, Facebook does not have a fixed aspect ratio requirement for the images. However, there are recommended image dimensions to follow:
- Width: 470 – 1,200 pixels
- Height: Any (auto-cropped)
The width of 470px ensures your images won’t be compressed or stretched too much. Going up to 1,200px provides more flexibility for horizontal images. Facebook auto-crops images to maintain the aspect ratio.
For video carousels, the recommended dimensions are:
- Width: 600 – 1,200 pixels
- Height: 315 – 600 pixels
This 16:9 horizontal video format works well on both desktop and mobile. Of course, you can also do square 1:1 format videos too.
Key Takeaways
- Image Width: 470 – 1,200px
- Image Height: Any (auto-cropped)
- Video Width: 600 – 1,200px
- Video Height: 315 – 600px
Instagram Carousel Post Sizes
Instagram carousels can include 2-10 images/videos. Instagram has very specific requirements for the media dimensions:
- Image Width: 1080 pixels
- Image Height: 1080 pixels (square 1:1 ratio)
- Video Width: 1080 pixels
- Video Height: 1920 pixels (9:16 vertical ratio)
This square image and vertical video format is consistent across both feed posts and Instagram Stories. While you can technically upload non-square images, Instagram will auto-crop/stretch them to fit the 1:1 ratio.
Key Takeaways
- Image Width: 1080px
- Image Height: 1080px
- Video Width: 1080px
- Video Height: 1920px
Twitter Carousel Post Sizes
Twitter carousels can include 2-4 images/videos per tweet. The required dimensions are:
- Image Width: 506 pixels
- Image Height: 253 pixels (2:1 ratio)
- Video Width: 506 pixels
- Video Height: 283 pixels
Twitter does not auto-crop media so it’s important to resize your images and videos to fit the correct widescreen 506×253 dimensions. Videos should use the 16:9 landscape format.
Key Takeaways
- Image Width: 506px
- Image Height: 253px
- Video Width: 506px
- Video Height: 283px
LinkedIn Carousel Post Sizes
The LinkedIn carousel format can feature 2-10 images or videos. LinkedIn recommends these dimensions:
- Square Image Width/Height: 504 pixels
- Horizontal Image Width: 504 pixels
- Horizontal Image Height: 284 pixels
- Video Width: 504 pixels
- Video Height: 284 pixels
The 1:1 and horizontal 16:9 formats both work well. Similar to Twitter, non-compliant media will not be cropped to the correct ratio.
Key Takeaways
- Square Image Width/Height: 504px
- Horizontal Image Width: 504px
- Horizontal Image Height: 284px
- Video Width: 504px
- Video Height: 284px
Pinterest Carousel Pin Sizes
Pinterest rolled out carousels for Pins in 2020. Each carousel Pin can feature 2-10 images with these ideal dimensions:
- Width: 1000 – 1080 pixels
- Height: 1000 – 1080 pixels (1:1 ratio)
Pinterest recommends a minimum width of 1000px for crisp image quality on high resolution screens. Sticking to the 1:1 square format ensures your Pins don’t get cropped.
Key Takeaways
- Width: 1000 – 1080px
- Height: 1000 – 1080px
General Carousel Post Tips
When creating carousels, keep these best practices in mind:
- Use high-res images (72 dpi or higher)
- Pick a visually cohesive theme or color scheme
- Ensure your images are well-lit and not grainy
- Display your most eye-catching image first
- Use captions to provide context and encourage engagement
- Link to your website or products where applicable
Image Sizing Tools
Resizing images to the optimal carousel dimensions for each platform used to be a tedious manual process. Thankfully, there are now user-friendly tools that can batch resize your media with just a few clicks.
Here are some of the top carousel image resizing tools:
Canva
Canva’s image resizer makes it simple to crop and resize multiple photos for social media. Just set the desired dimensions and drag-and-drop your images.
BeFunky
BeFunky’s photo editor has preset dimensions for all the major social platforms, including carousel sizes. You can also custom crop images.
PicMonkey
PicMonkey has Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest specific carousel image templates to streamline resizing.
ResizeImage.net
This free online image resizer from ResizeImage.net lets you enter custom dimensions to resize batches of images for social carousels.
Adobe Photoshop
While pricier than the other options, Photoshop makes it easy to resize hundreds of photos in batches with the image processor tool.
Conclusion
While each social platform has its own carousel specifications, the standard size tends to be in the 500-1000 pixel range for both image width and height.
Creating carousels using the recommended dimensions ensures your posts will look fantastic across all devices. With the right sizing tools, resizing multiple images is now a simple task.
Armed with these carousel post dimensions, you can start populating your social profiles with engaging and effective carousels. Just don’t forget to focus on compelling visuals, captions, and calls-to-action to maximize engagement.
What tips do you have for creating standout social media carousels? Share your thoughts in the comments!