As a social media platform used primarily for professional networking and career development, LinkedIn profiles need to look polished and put together. An important element of any LinkedIn profile is the header banner photo. This large horizontal image sits behind your profile photo and headline and spans the full width of your LinkedIn page. With limited profile real estate, optimizing this banner to make the right impression is key.
But when it comes to your LinkedIn header size, how big is too big? And how do you find the right dimensions to properly showcase your banner without distorting it? This article will walk through the ideal banner dimensions to use, tips for designing an effective banner, and tools to ensure it looks great on all devices.
What are the recommended LinkedIn banner dimensions?
LinkedIn displays profile banners differently depending on the device, so you’ll need to customize the size accordingly. Here are the recommended dimensions:
- Desktop banner size: At least 1400 x 425 pixels
- Mobile banner size: At least 600 x 300 pixels
These minimum sizes ensure your photo will display properly across platforms without getting cut off or distorted. The maximum file size LinkedIn allows for banner images is 8 MB.
While you can technically upload a banner outside these recommended dimensions, sticking to these standards is best to guarantee it will look as intended on both desktop and mobile. Wider banners up to 2500 x 1440 pixels are also accepted.
Why are the right LinkedIn banner dimensions important?
Following LinkedIn’s recommended dimensions is key for several reasons:
- Prevents distortion or cropping: Using a banner that is too narrow or short risks LinkedIn cropping or warping it to fit the space. This can make your image look unprofessional.
- Mobile optimization: The mobile banner size ensures your photo won’t be cut off on mobile devices. This is crucial since 60% of LinkedIn’s traffic comes from mobile.
- Consistent branding: Standard dimensions keep your branding and image consistent across platforms.
- Shows off your profile: The right sized banner utilizes the available space to showcase your photo.
In short, the right banner dimensions are critical for displaying your brand in the best light and adapting seamlessly across desktop and mobile.
Tips for designing an effective LinkedIn banner
Once you’ve nailed down the right measurements, here are some tips for designing a compelling, professional banner:
- Use high-quality, eye-catching photos: Since your banner acts as the header for your profile, invest in professional photos that capture your brand. Avoid grainy images.
- Incorporate branding elements: Include your company colors, logo, or other visual elements to reinforce brand identity.
- Showcase your profession: Feature images of you working, headshots, career highlights, awards, etc. Choose photos aligned with your industry.
- Stand out with unique styles: Try a collage layout, filtered or textured photos, or illustrations for a more stylized look.
- Add text sparingly: Limit text to your name, title, and brief tagline so the image remains the focus.
- Review on all devices: Preview your banner on desktop and mobile to ensure it’s readable and displays properly before publishing.
A well-designed banner both aesthetically represents your personal brand and communicates what you do professionally at a glance.
Tools to create proper LinkedIn banner sizes
When designing your LinkedIn header, leverage tools to optimize it for all platforms:
Image editing apps
Use apps like Canva, PicMonkey, or Photoshop to craft an eye-catching banner photo and easily resize it to LinkedIn’s dimensions.
LinkedIn mobile preview
LinkedIn offers a mobile preview option when editing your profile to see how your banner will look on mobile.
Mobile responsive testing tools
Test your header using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test or tools like Responsinator to confirm your banner adapts seamlessly across mobile devices.
Social media image size guides
Reference image dimension guides, like those from Sprout Social, to look up recommended sizes for LinkedIn and other networks in one place.
Example banner sizes
To give you a better idea of how to size your LinkedIn banner properly, here are some examples following LinkedIn’s recommended dimensions:
| Banner Use | Desktop Dimensions | Mobile Dimensions |
|---|---|---|
| Standard LinkedIn Banner | 1400 x 425 px | 600 x 300 px |
| Wide LinkedIn Banner | 2500 x 1440 px | 600 x 300 px |
| Landscape Photo Banner | 1400 x 480 px | 600 x 338 px |
| Square Photo Banner | 1400 x 425 px | 600 x 600 px |
As you can see, the desktop banner remains wider to span the full profile, while the mobile version is taller to adapt to vertical scrolling on phones. Optimize your banner for both widths.
Do you need a custom LinkedIn banner size?
In most cases, following LinkedIn’s recommended dimensions is best to ensure your banner displays properly across platforms. But in some scenarios, you may want to upload a banner outside these sizes:
- Brand guidelines: If your company’s brand guidelines dictate specific banner dimensions, you can upload a custom size that fits those standards.
- Consistency across networks: To repurpose banner artwork across social channels, use the same size for uniformity.
- Artistic preference: Some graphic designers opt for unique art board sizes when creating banner artwork.
Just keep in mind that custom sizes have risks, such as LinkedIn cropping or warping your image. Test your banner first and have backup options sized to LinkedIn’s requirements.
Should you use the same banner across platforms?
While you can use the same header image across LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and other networks, each platform has different ideal banner sizes.
Instead of stretching one image to fit all, consider creating custom banners tailored to each network’s dimensions. This guarantees no distortion and allows you to optimize content to each platform.
That said, repurposing one banner across some networks with similar dimensions (like Facebook and Instagram) can save time. Just confirm it meets each platform’s recommended measurements.
Conclusion
When designing your LinkedIn profile banner, follow the recommended desktop and mobile dimensions of 1400 x 425 pixels and 600 x 300 pixels respectively. This ensures your photo displays crisply across devices without getting cropped or distorted.
Craft a high quality, professional banner that visually represents your brand and industry. Use image editing tools to optimize your artwork for all platforms and regularly test your banner on both desktop and mobile.
Following LinkedIn’s best practices for banner sizes allows you to make a stellar first impression and showcase your brand in the best possible light.
